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U.S. Citizen Released After Wrongful Detention Under Blocked Florida Immigration Law

Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, detained for over 30 hours despite proof of citizenship, highlights systemic failures in Florida's immigration enforcement.

(File photo) An U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) personnel provides security in the French Quarter provides security in the French Quarter prior to Super Bowl LIX on February 08, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Juan Lopez Gomez hugs his mother after his release.
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Lopez-Gomez, 20, remains in jail under an ICE detainer despite a court ruling no probable cause for his arrest, highlighting concerns over racial profiling of U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Overview

  • Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a U.S.-born citizen, was wrongfully detained in Florida under a law blocked by federal courts earlier this month.
  • A judge found no probable cause for his arrest after inspecting his birth certificate, but an ICE detainer kept him in custody for over 30 hours.
  • The arrest occurred during a traffic stop where a trooper claimed Lopez-Gomez admitted to being in the U.S. illegally, despite presenting valid ID.
  • Civil rights groups and advocates have condemned the detention as unconstitutional and indicative of systemic racial profiling and due process failures.
  • Lopez-Gomez was released late Thursday, but his pending charge and the broader legal challenges to Florida's immigration law remain unresolved.