Overview
- Jair Celis, 29, was detained by ICE during his final green card interview in Utah and transferred to a detention facility in Arizona.
- A DHS post on X alleged a criminal history for sodomy of a child and sexual abuse of a child, stated he overstayed a 2007 tourist visa, and said he is in removal proceedings.
- Juvenile court records reviewed by The Salt Lake Tribune show 2014 allegations when Celis was 17, with an adjudication reflecting an admission to unlawful sexual contact rather than an adult conviction.
- Celis’s attorneys say the case involved a consensual relationship between minors, contend juvenile proceedings are sealed, and note no adult criminal record appears in Utah.
- The legal team says it has engaged other firms for a potential libel suit against DHS, as supporters seek his release on bond and an ICE document from Dec. 2 showed a negative criminal-history search.