TALLAHASSEE, USA — A U.S.-born citizen was detained in a Florida jail on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 and charged under a state law targeting so-called “unauthorised aliens,” despite documentation proving his American citizenship.
Twenty-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, born in Georgia, was held for a day at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even after his mother presented his birth certificate and Social Security card in court.
Judge LaShawn Riggans of Leon County reviewed the documents in court on Thursday and confirmed their authenticity, finding no legal basis for the charge.
However, the judge said her authority was limited because of ICE’s request to hold Lopez-Gomez.
“This court does not have any jurisdiction other than what I’ve already done,” Riggans said, according to Florida Phoenix.
Lopez-Gomez was reportedly released Thursday evening following public demonstrations outside the jail.
Legal Tension Over Florida Immigration Law
Lopez-Gomez was charged under a recently enacted Florida law that makes it a state crime to enter the state illegally — a measure currently under legal challenge.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the law on April 4 after a lawsuit filed by the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which argued that the statute encroaches on federal immigration authority.
ICE issued a 48-hour detainer for Lopez-Gomez on Thursday, but did not respond to questions about why a U.S. citizen was subject to immigration enforcement.
State prosecutor Kimberly Thompson also did not respond to inquiries about the circumstances of the arrest.
Lopez-Gomez’s mother, Sebastiana Gomez-Perez, expressed frustration after the hearing.
“I wanted to tell them, ‘Where are you going to take him? He is from here,’” she said. “It hurts so much.”
Arrest Circumstances
Lopez-Gomez had previously been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to his mother, he was released after providing proof of citizenship.
On Wednesday, he was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Florida Highway Patrol for speeding.
The arrest report claimed Lopez-Gomez stated he was in the country illegally — an assertion his family disputes.
Lopez-Gomez, who lived in Mexico for much of his life before returning to Georgia four years ago, was born in the U.S. and holds valid citizenship documents.
National Policy Spotlight
The case comes amid heightened immigration enforcement actions and political rhetoric.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he supports sending U.S. citizens to foreign detention centres, including a prison in El Salvador.
In March, the administration deported migrants to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) in El Salvador despite a federal court order.
One migrant, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was deported despite having legal protections in place — an action officials attributed to an “administrative error.”
Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition criticised Lopez-Gomez’s detention, saying it reflects the consequences of “persecutory and poorly written” state laws.
