In a troubling case that underscores the flaws and dangers in the enforcement of immigration laws in the United States, 20-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a U.S.-born citizen from Georgia, was arrested and held overnight in a Florida jail under a 48-hour hold requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Though he was later released, the incident raises serious concerns about racial profiling, systemic negligence, and the abuse of immigration enforcement powers under current political rhetoric.
A Routine Traffic Stop Turns Into an Immigration Nightmare
On Wednesday, Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez was traveling with two men to Tallahassee, Florida, for his construction job, a common route for him given that he lives just 45 minutes away in Cairo, Georgia. The group was pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol for speeding.
What should have been a simple traffic stop quickly escalated into something much more serious when Lopez-Gomez was arrested on the grounds of being an “unauthorized alien entering Florida,” a charge based on a state law that had already been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Lopez-Gomez, who was born in Grady County, Georgia, found himself the target of ICE’s detainer policy, even though he is a documented U.S. citizen. According to the arrest affidavit, the trooper allegedly asked the passengers if they were in the country illegally.
The officer claimed that the passengers responded in the affirmative, though Lopez-Gomez’s attorney, Mutaqee Akbar, disputes this claim. Akbar argues that there was no direct quote or admission from Lopez-Gomez about his immigration status. In fact, Lopez-Gomez never stated that he was in the country illegally.
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Lopez-Gomez is not fluent in English or Spanish and primarily speaks an indigenous language, which may have contributed to confusion during the interaction with law enforcement. His limited language skills, combined with the officer’s assumptions, led to a severe misunderstanding that cost him his freedom and dignity for the night.
The Legal and Political Backdrop Behind the Arrest
The arrest of Lopez-Gomez happened under the shadow of a highly controversial Florida immigration law, SB 4-C and SB 811.102–.103. Passed in February and championed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, the law penalizes individuals over the age of 18 who illegally enter Florida after having evaded immigration checks in the U.S.
However, the law was blocked temporarily by U.S. Judge Kathleen Williams on April 4, pending further review, meaning it should not have been enforceable at the time of Lopez-Gomez’s arrest.
Despite this, Lopez-Gomez was held at the Leon County Jail under a 48-hour ICE detainer. These detainers are requests made by ICE to local law enforcement to hold individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully. Though such detainers are not legally binding, many local jurisdictions comply with them as part of federal cooperation agreements.
Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez has been released. This is the moment he reunited with his mom. pic.twitter.com/4ODBw8cGDm
— Jackie Llanos (@LlanosJackie) April 17, 2025
In court, Lopez-Gomez’s mother brought his official Georgia birth certificate to prove his citizenship. Judge LaShawn Riggans reviewed the certificate and confirmed its authenticity, stating that the watermark and other features verified the document’s legitimacy.
Nevertheless, she explained that she did not have the authority to override an ICE hold, even though no probable cause was found for charging Lopez-Gomez under state immigration law.
The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed it was looking into the matter. Meanwhile, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office defended its actions by stating it follows standard intake procedures by complying with ICE detainer requests and that it does not determine citizenship status or initiate immigration holds.
Systemic Failures and the Reality of Racial Profiling
The detainment of Lopez-Gomez is emblematic of the broader systemic failures that plague U.S. immigration enforcement. His case is not unique. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, many U.S. citizens have been mistakenly detained or even deported due to ICE detainers, despite asserting their citizenship.
Attorney Akbar described the situation as “best case, a communication breakdown,” but emphasized that racial profiling was undeniably at play. Lopez-Gomez’s physical appearance, his indigenous language, and his association with other Latin American individuals contributed to assumptions about his immigration status.
Community advocates and immigration rights groups quickly mobilized to support Lopez-Gomez and his family. Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition was present at the courthouse and confirmed Lopez-Gomez’s release on Thursday evening.
He shared a photo of a visibly emotional Lopez-Gomez surrounded by family and supporters, with a caption thanking everyone who helped. Community activist Yolanda Alonso, who assisted the family, suggested that Lopez-Gomez may appear in government records as undocumented due to paperwork he filled out as a teenager.
At the age of 2, he had moved to Mexico and later returned to the U.S. at 16. When re-entering, he provided his U.S. birth certificate and Social Security number. However, he also submitted a Form I-94, typically used for tracking non-citizen visitors, which may have caused further confusion in federal databases.
Akbar warned that what happened to Lopez-Gomez could happen to any American with an accent or different appearance. “If it happens to Mr. Lopez-Gomez, a US-born citizen, it can happen to anyone: Haitian Americans, Jamaican Americans, Venezuelan Americans,” he said.
Advocates for immigration reform say this case is a chilling example of the unintended consequences of draconian policies and harsh rhetoric surrounding immigration. Alana Greer, director of the Community Justice Project, said, “No one should have been arrested under this law, let alone a US citizen.” She highlighted that even though all parties – the judge, the prosecutor, the sheriff – acknowledged his citizenship, they still deferred to ICE, reflecting a dangerous abdication of responsibility.
The fallout from this case has raised fresh questions about the legality and morality of ICE detainers, especially when applied to U.S. citizens. The federal government, courts, and law enforcement agencies must reconcile their roles to prevent such miscarriages of justice in the future.
Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez’s arrest and overnight detention serve as a disturbing reminder of how easily systems meant to protect national borders can inflict harm on their own citizens.
It illustrates the risks of unchecked power in immigration enforcement and the serious consequences of racial profiling. His eventual release was a relief, but the trauma endured and the message sent to countless other Americans of immigrant background cannot be undone so easily.
As debates over immigration continue to shape policies at the state and federal levels, Lopez-Gomez’s story will likely remain a case study in why due process, proper training, and safeguards against profiling are vital. In a country built on diversity and inclusion, the protection of constitutional rights for all citizens – regardless of ethnicity or language – must remain paramount.