A 19-year-old student at the University of Utah was apprehended by federal authorities while driving in Colorado.
Caroline Dias Goncalves was pulled over by police in Fruita on June 5 on the way to Denver, according to a post on GoFundMe.
Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The arrest comes amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Under the Trump administration, ICE has ramped up arrests across the country. The White House has maintained that anyone living in the country illegally is considered a “criminal.”
What To Know
The officer told Dias Goncalves that she was following a semi-truck too closely, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. When she showed her driver’s license to the officer in Fruita, he reportedly questioned its authenticity and began asking her where she was from, per the paper, which spoke with a relative.
Dias Goncalves told the officer she lived in Utah, but the officer expressed doubt, citing what he believed was an accent. Her relatives and friends, however, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she does not have an accent.
Dias Goncalves told the officer she was born in Brazil and moved to Utah with her parents as a child. Her relative said she arrived in 2012 at age 7.
The officer ultimately told her she would be let go with a warning. A spokesperson for the town of Fruita told The Tribune that the officer was likely a state highway patrol agent, not a member of the Fruita Police Department.
A short time later, a few miles down the road in Grand Junction, Dias Goncalves was stopped again, this time by immigration officers who arrested her, according to the report.
For two days, the family was unaware of Dias Goncalves’ whereabouts, until she was able to make a phone call on Saturday, according to a relative. They had been tracking her phone and observed that her location was Aurora. She remains in ICE custody at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora.
Dias Goncalves’ mother has been distressed since learning that her daughter was in custody. Relatives and friends say she took all necessary steps to obtain the proper documentation and legal status.
Her parents brought her to the United States from Brazil 12 years ago after experiencing multiple incidents of violence, including being robbed and held hostage by gangs. They entered the country on a six-month tourist visa, which they overstayed.
According to her family, the decision not to return to Brazil after the visa expired was driven by fear and uncertainty. Three years ago, Dias Goncalves and her parents applied for asylum and the case remains pending in court.
Dias Goncalves has no criminal history. In April 2023, she was pulled over as a juvenile for a traffic violation involving an unsafe vehicle, but the case was dismissed by the court.
What People Are Saying
A post on GoFundMe: “Caroline has always followed the law, passionately pursued her education, and dreamed of a future full of opportunity. Yet she now finds herself unlawfully detained, frightened, and far from the safety and support she deserves.”
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, in a statement: “The traffic contact occurred on Interstate 70 outside of Loma, Colorado, and lasted less than 20 minutes. Miss Dias Goncalves was released from the traffic stop with a warning. In accordance with Colorado law, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office does not investigate residency status during any law enforcement interactions.”
What Happens Next
The body camera footage from the traffic stop will be released after the necessary redactions have been made.
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