Questions have arisen surrounding the immigration detention of Caroline Dias Goncalves, a 19-year-old college student from Utah, following a traffic stop in Colorado on June 5. Dias Goncalves, who attends the University of Utah and has lived in the U.S. since she was seven, was initially pulled over by a Mesa County sheriff’s deputy for allegedly driving too closely to a semi-truck. The stop lasted under 20 minutes and ended with a warning.
However, shortly after exiting the highway, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested her without presenting a warrant, prompting her attorney to express concerns over the legality and methods of her detention. Dias Goncalves is classified as a Dreamer—undocumented young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—and has a pending asylum case. Together with others in similar situations, she represents nearly 2.5 million Dreamers living in the U.S.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office later revealed that the deputy who stopped Dias Goncalves was part of a multi-agency communication group focused on drug interdiction on highways, indicating potential misuse of resources for immigration enforcement. Colorado law restricts cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, although not completely.
Dias Goncalves’ case parallels that of Ximena Arias-Cristobal, another Dreamer detained in Georgia under similar circumstances. Both women are recipients of TheDream.US scholarship, which supports undocumented students. Advocates emphasize that Dreamers are actively seeking to regularize their status and highlight the urgent need for legislative solutions to protect them amid increasing deportation risks under the current administration. Polls suggest broad public support for granting permanent legal status to Dreamers, a topic the Trump administration has acknowledged in past statements.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
