Police officer who arrested Georgia teen that was detained by ICE resigns from department

The Georgia police officer whose traffic arrest of a 19-year-old undocumented college student led to her detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has resigned from the department, a spokesperson for the city of Dalton confirmed to CBS News on Saturday.

City of Dalton spokesperson Bruce Frazier wrote in an email that the Dalton Police Department had “no statement” on the officer’s “resignation,” and added that “I also don’t have info on his reason for resigning.” Frazier’s statement did not name the officer. 

The resignation comes after Dalton police said the officer had mistakenly pulled over Ximena Arias Cristobal on May 5. He cited Arias-Cristobal for making an improper turn and driving without a license before booking her into the Whitfield County Jail in Dalton, where she was picked up by ICE officers.

After officials reviewed dashboard camera footage of the traffic stop, they found the vehicle that actually made the improper turn was similar to the truck Arias Cristobal was driving, and on May 12, dismissed traffic charges against her.

“You ever been to jail?,” the officer can heard asking Arias Cristobal in the dashcam footage.

“No, sir,” she responded.

“Well, you’re going,” the officer said. 

“I cannot go to jail. I have my finals next week. My family depends on this,” Arias Cristobal said.

Arias Cristobal, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 4, had been in ICE custody since early May after the agency took custody of her from the Dalton county jail and transferred her to an ICE detention facility in Lumpkin. 

ICE released her from detention on May 22 when an immigration judge granted her bond.    

Her father — who was detained by ICE in April, also after a traffic stop — was being held in Lumpkin as well, but he was granted bond and released last week. 

Both will continue to face deportation to Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security previously said. ICE started a deportation case against Arias Cristobal in immigration court. 

DHS said Arias Cristobal and her father should face “consequences” for being in the U.S. illegally.

Camilo Montoya-Galvez

contributed to this report.