Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old American citizen born in the U.S., was jailed in Florida under a controversial state immigration law, even though he had a valid U.S. birth certificate and Social Security card. A judge confirmed both documents were real, but said she had no power to release him after ICE issued a detainer.
Lopez-Gomez was arrested during a traffic stop and charged with illegally entering Florida as an “unauthorized alien.” That criminal charge was dropped, but he remained in custody until his release, despite clear proof of his citizenship.
Judge LaShawn Riggans inspected his documents in court and confirmed they were authentic, stating she found no probable cause for the charge. But because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had asked the jail to hold him, the judge said the court had no jurisdiction to intervene.
The arrest stems from SB 4-C, a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February that makes it a misdemeanor for undocumented immigrants over 18 to reenter Florida. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law in early April, further calling into question the legitimacy of Lopez-Gomez’s detention.
Juan Carlos has now been released, but we wanted America to know this story. A U.S. citizen, born here, held without cause under a law that was already blocked. This is what happens when political stunts turn into policy.
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