ATLANTA — The bond hearing for a 19 year-old college student who was wrongfully arrested and detained by ICE was postponed Tuesday because of technical issues.
Her attorney is optimistic she could soon be headed home.
“I think we’ve got a very fair judge and the judge is inclined to grant bonds in cases like this,” said Dustin Baxter who is the attorney for Ximena Arias-Cristobal.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The teen was set for a bond hearing Tuesday that was postponed by a day.
“She’s obviously been on an emotional rollercoaster, sadness, anger, despair,” explained Baxter about his client.
Arias-Cristobal was arrested during a traffic stop in Dalton earlier this month for making an illegal right turn.
RELATED STORIES:
- GA student in ICE custody after mistaken traffic stop to have immigration hearing
- North Georgia father reunited with family after ICE detainment; daughter remains in custody
- ICE still plans to deport Georgia college student arrested after wrongful traffic stop
- Marjorie Taylor Greene weighs in on college student facing deportation after wrongful traffic stop
- GA student taken into ICE custody after traffic stop pulled over by mistake, police say
- Traffic stop lands GA college student in ICE custody 2 weeks after same thing happened to father
But police later admitted they had the wrong car and dropped the charges against the college student. However, when Arias-Cristobal was taken to the county jail. where deputies determined she was in the U.S. illegally, they alerted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which took her, and is now holding her in a detention center in South Georgia. Arias-Cristobal has lived in the U.S. since her parents brought her here illegally from Mexico when she was four.
Baxter said the teen has found a way to pass the time.
“She’s found solace helping other people in detention. Since she speaks English fluently she’s able to help a lot of other people. She’s made that her pastime and her passion,” said Baxter who is hopeful she will be out bond soon.
“We maintain our positivity and hope that we can get Ximena out of there as soon as we possibly can.”
ICE has said they still plan to deport the family after the teen’s father was also arrested.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]