On Wednesday, April 16, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents detained US-born citizen Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, for entering the state of Florida as an “unauthorized alien”. At a court hearing in Leon County in Florida, his mother and an advocate presented evidence of his citizenship, including his birth certificate, proving his birth in the US, and his Social Security card. The judge claimed she had no authority to release Gomez, leaving him in ICE custody for 48 hours. The story was broken by Florida journalist Jackie Llanos.
🚨A U.S. born citizen was arrested in Florida for entering the state as an “unauthorized alien.” His mother and a community advocate showed his birth certificate during a hearing in Leon County. The judge said she had no authority to release him. pic.twitter.com/lwQQMQuUVR
— Jackie Llanos (@LlanosJackie) April 17, 2025
Screenshots from the Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller case search system in Florida. They show court records related to the arrest of Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez on April 16, 2025.
Here’s a breakdown of what each screenshot shows:
First Image
•Case Title:… pic.twitter.com/JR2TWgbMel
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 17, 2025
I’m at the Leon County Jail with the mom of the 20 year old U.S. citizens arrested for illegally entering Florida after a traffic stop. She showed his birth certificate in court. He’s still in jail waiting for ICE officials to pick him up. pic.twitter.com/BsecHelEr6
— Jackie Llanos (@LlanosJackie) April 17, 2025
This marks the first time US citizen is detained by Trump’s immigration agents, a move feared by many immigration advocates and activists who have raised concerns regarding Trump’s escalating mass deportation operation as well as his comments to El Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele proposing sending “homegrowns” to the horrific CECOT prison.
“The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You’ve got to build about five more places,” Trump said to Bukele when the Salvadoran president visited the Oval Office on Monday.
