A U.S. citizen was once arrested in Florida for allegedly being within the nation illegally and held for pickup through immigration government even after his mom confirmed a pass judgement on her son’s delivery certificates and the pass judgement on brushed aside fees.
Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, 20, was once in a automobile that was once stopped simply previous the Georgia state line through the Florida Freeway Patrol on Wednesday, mentioned Thomas Kennedy, a spokesperson on the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
Gomez and others within the automobile have been arrested beneath a new Florida law, which is on cling, making it against the law for people who find themselves within the nation illegally to go into the state.
Thomas Kennedy / AP 
It’s unclear if Lopez Gomez confirmed paperwork proving he’s a citizen to the arresting officials. He was once held at Leon County Prison and launched after his case won fashionable media protection.
The fee of unlawful access into Florida was once dropped Thursday after his mom confirmed the pass judgement on his state id card, delivery certificates and Social Safety card, mentioned Kennedy, who attended the listening to.
Court docket data display Pass judgement on Lashawn Riggans discovered no foundation for the fee.
Lopez Gomez in brief remained in custody after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked he stay there for 48 hours, a commonplace observe when the company desires to take custody of any person. ICE didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The case drew fashionable consideration as a result of ICE isn’t intended to take custody of U.S.-born voters. Whilst the immigration company can once in a while get fascinated by circumstances of naturalized voters who dedicated offenses reminiscent of mendacity on immigration bureaucracy, it has no authority over other people born within the U.S.
Including to the confusion is a federal pass judgement on’s ruling to place a cling at the enforcement of the Florida legislation towards people who find themselves within the nation illegally coming into the state, which supposed it will have to no longer were enforced.
“No person will have to be arrested beneath that legislation, let on my own a U.S. citizen,” mentioned Alana Greer, an immigration lawyer from the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “They noticed this individual, he did not discuss English specifically neatly, and they arrested him and charged him with this legislation that nobody [should] be charged with.”
