A Georgia police officer resigns after wrongfully arresting a teenager during a traffic stop, triggering her detention by immigration authorities and sparking a national controversy over local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
At a Glance
- Officer Leslie O’Neal resigned from the Dalton Police Department after mistakenly arresting 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal during a traffic stop
- Dashcam footage later revealed O’Neal stopped the wrong vehicle, leading to the withdrawal of driving charges
- Arias-Cristobal was transferred to ICE custody and held at a detention center for two weeks before being released on bond
- Despite the mistaken arrest, Arias-Cristobal still faces potential deportation proceedings
- The case highlights controversial 287(g) programs allowing local law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration authorities
Officer Resigns Following Controversial Arrest
Officer Leslie O’Neal of the Dalton Police Department in Georgia has resigned following his mistaken arrest of Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old who was brought to the United States illegally when she was four years old. The resignation comes amid mounting public criticism over the incident that led to Arias-Cristobal being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and facing potential deportation proceedings. O’Neal cited lack of support from the police department as the primary reason for his departure.
“The department’s silence in the face of widespread defamation has not only made my position personally untenable but has also created an environment where I can no longer effectively carry out my duties within the city of Dalton without fear of further backlash from the community,” O’Neal stated in his resignation.
Traffic Stop Gone Wrong
The controversy began when O’Neal pulled over Arias-Cristobal for an alleged traffic violation. During the stop, Arias-Cristobal reportedly pleaded with the officer, saying, “I cannot go to jail. I have my finals next week. My family depends on this.” Despite her pleas, she was arrested for driving without a license. It was later discovered through dashcam footage that O’Neal had stopped the wrong vehicle, leading to the driving charges being dropped.
However, by then, Arias-Cristobal had already been transferred to federal immigration custody under the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE on immigration enforcement. She was held at the Stewart Detention Center, a privately run facility that has faced accusations of rights violations and poor conditions, for approximately two weeks before being released on a $1,500 bond.
“Being in Stewart changed my life,” Arias-Cristobal said following her release. “It’s something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s life-changing.”
Immigration Controversy
Arias-Cristobal’s case has become a flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement. Her family entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2007 when she was just four years old. She narrowly missed qualifying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections, leaving her vulnerable to deportation despite having spent most of her life in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security has suggested that her family voluntarily leave the country.
The case has drawn attention from politicians on both sides of the immigration debate. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene advocated for Arias-Cristobal’s deportation, stating, “In Mexico, today, there’s over 1.6 million United States of America citizens, living and thriving in Mexico, and I’m sure she and her family will be able to do the same. But it’s important for our nation, for our sovereignty, for us to uphold the law. And this is what we have to do.”
Legal Battle Continues
While Arias-Cristobal has been released from detention, her legal troubles are far from over. She and her father, who was also recently detained by ICE following a separate traffic stop, continue to face potential deportation. A GoFundMe campaign established for her legal defense has raised over $90,000, indicating substantial public support for her case. Her legal team is working to secure her permanent residency in the United States.
“We’re going to keep working on her case to try to keep her here permanently,” her lawyer, Dustin Baxter, told WSB.
The incident has also reignited criticism of Georgia’s law requiring local law enforcement to apply for 287(g) contracts. Advocacy groups argue these agreements promote racial profiling and waste valuable law enforcement resources that could be better directed toward community safety initiatives rather than federal immigration enforcement.
