In Trump's America, Even U.S.-Born Citizens Aren’t Safe from ICE

A U.S. citizen was detained as an “unauthorized alien” under Florida’s anti-immigration law—even after showing his birth certificate.

I’m a Mexican-American, born and raised in the United States. I have a passport, a birth certificate, and a Social Security number.

So did Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez.

And yet, he was arrested in Florida, labeled an “unauthorized alien,” and held for deportation despite being a U.S. citizen.

The good news? He was released.

The terrifying part? He never should’ve been in that jail cell to begin with.

Because in Ron DeSantis’ Florida and Donald Trump’s America, even that might not be enough.

But let’s be clear: the damage is already done and I guarantee this won’t be the last time they try to do this.

He Was Born in Georgia, But Florida Tried to Deport Him Anyway

Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez is 20 years old. He was born in Grady County, Georgia. He has a Social Security number, a Georgia state ID, and a valid U.S. birth certificate.

None of that mattered.

He was riding in a car that got pulled over for speeding. He wasn’t even driving. He handed over his Georgia ID to a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, who claimed Lopez-Gomez said he was “in the country illegally.” That was enough to charge him as an “unauthorized alien” under SB 4-C—a Florida immigration law that had already been blocked by a federal judge.

Let me say that again…they arrested a U.S. citizen under a law that isn’t even legally in effect.

A Birth Certificate in Court—Still Not Enough

In court, Lopez-Gomez’s mother broke down in tears. A community advocate waved her son’s birth certificate in front of the judge. The judge examined it, held it up to the light, and confirmed it was real.

“The court can clearly see the watermark,” said Leon County Judge LaShawn Riggans.

She also reviewed his Social Security card. Based on both documents, she ruled there was no probable cause for the charge. But she still couldn’t release him. ICE had already filed a detainer requesting the jail hold him. And despite the evidence, Judge Riggans said she had no authority to override the federal hold.

Outside the jail, video captured by Phoenix reporter Jackie Llanos shows protesters chanting and demanding Juan Carlos’ release—family, friends, and community members refusing to stay silent while a U.S. citizen sat behind bars for existing.

Florida Enforces a Blocked Law. ICE Makes It Worse.

SB 4-C, the law DeSantis signed in February 2025, makes it a crime for “adult unauthorized aliens” to enter Florida if they previously entered the U.S. by “eluding or avoiding” immigration officers—basically turning border policy into a state-level trap.

But here’s the problem: a federal judge blocked the law on April 4.

It was ruled unconstitutional. It shouldn’t be enforceable. But that didn’t stop the state. Or ICE. Or a system designed to target whoever it wants.

This wasn’t a clerical error—it was a deliberate misuse of power.

Released…But Only After ICE Let Go

Shortly after his release, Llanos captured the emotional moment Juan Carlos reunited with his mother—her arms wrapped tightly around him as she sobbed and kissed him like she wasn’t sure she’d ever get the chance again.

And that moment? It wasn’t justice. It was relief.

In an interview with the Phoenix, Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, who attended the hearing, said what everyone else was thinking:
“This is very likely a case of racial profiling against a U.S. citizen who can’t speak English.”

Lopez-Gomez’s first language is Tzotzil, a Mayan dialect. In court, when asked about hiring a lawyer, he hesitated—not because he didn’t want one, but because he was trying to process a legal system that was already treating him like he didn’t exist.

A Warning to the Rest of Us

This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system. Florida passed an unconstitutional law, ICE enforced it anyway, and a U.S. citizen was nearly deported.

And if you're thinking, “Well, maybe he said something wrong,” ask yourself this:

What happens to someone like me?

I’m a Mexican-American, born here, and I have every document you're supposed to have. But what happens the next time I visit family in Mexico and try to come back?

Will I be stopped because of my name? Flagged because I speak Spanish? And if that happens, will my documents be enough?

Because for Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, they weren’t.

This is what happens when immigration policy becomes a campaign ad.

And if citizenship isn’t enough to protect him, what makes you think it’ll protect the rest of us?