Caroline Dias Goncalves, a 19-year-old student at the University of Utah, expressed feeling scared, alone, and heartbroken during the two weeks she spent in a Colorado detention center following her arrest by immigration authorities after a traffic stop. Being born in Brazil and raised in Utah since the age of 7, Dias Goncalves is part of the group known as Dreamers, referring to undocumented young immigrants brought to the US as children.
Questions arose about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement learned of Dias Goncalves’ location and immigration status so quickly after a sheriff’s deputy stopped her in Colorado, a state with laws limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The detention occurred after a traffic stop on Interstate 70 outside Loma, where a Mesa County sheriff’s deputy pulled her over for following a semitruck too closely. Although she was initially let go with a warning, ICE agents apprehended her shortly after she exited the highway and took her to an immigration detention center in Aurora.
While in detention, Dias Goncalves described being served subpar food and kept on confusing schedules, feeling scared and isolated. However, she noted a change in treatment by officers at the center once they realized she spoke English, which she found disheartening as it highlighted disparities in how detainees were treated.
ICE officers apologized to Dias Goncalves, expressing their constraints despite wanting to release her, which she forgave them for, believing in the capacity for better choices when given the opportunity. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s deputy involved in the traffic stop was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, revealing that federal authorities used information from a communication group involving various law enforcement agencies for immigration enforcement purposes.
Dias Goncalves emphasized that no one should endure what she went through and highlighted the plight of over 1,300 individuals still in the Aurora detention facility facing a similar ordeal. She expressed hope that others would not have to experience the same injustices and discrimination she faced, especially in a country she has called home for most of her life.
“Dias Goncalves expressed her appreciation towards her friends, family, and church community who supported her throughout her ordeal. Now back home with her family, she is focusing on moving forward, including work, school, and healing. She emphasized the importance of immigrants like herself having a fair chance to adjust their status, feel safe, and continue building their lives in the country they call home.
Having arrived in the U.S. as a child on a tourist visa that expired years ago, Dias Goncalves applied for asylum, and her case is still pending. The Department of Homeland Security mentioned that her visa had expired, highlighting the administration’s commitment to upholding visa integrity and preventing abuse.
Despite not having a criminal record and not being presented with a warrant during her ICE arrest, Dias Goncalves faced detention. A recipient of TheDream.US national scholarship, she was ultimately released on bond. Gaby Pacheco, president of TheDream.US, expressed relief at her release and questioned the treatment of immigrant youth in the detention system.
Dias Goncalves’ situation echoes that of Ximena Arias-Cristobal, another 19-year-old Dreamer facing immigration issues after being stopped by police. When asked about immigration protections for Dreamers, a White House spokesperson emphasized the administration’s focus on deporting criminal illegal aliens.”
