Florida Releases US Citizen Wrongfully Arrested by ICE
Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a US citizen born in Georgia, was arrested in Florida and detained on a 48-hour hold requested by ICE, despite presenting a valid birth certificate. He was charged under Florida’s SB 4C law, which a federal court temporarily blocked, with being an “unauthorized alien.” Although the judge dismissed the charge, ICE’s detainer initially prevented his release. Following public outcry and advocacy efforts, Lopez-Gomez was ultimately released on Thursday evening.
John Q. Hosedrinker