GEORGIA — In a breaking news article by CBS News, the outlet reported on a Georgia case in which an undocumented 19-year-old college student was arrested during a traffic stop and subsequently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to a spokesperson for the city of Dalton, the officer involved in the arrest resigned from the department on Saturday.
CBS News, citing information from Dalton police and city spokesperson Bruce Frazier, reported on the case of Ximena Arias Cristobal, a teenage college student who was mocked by Officer Leslie Allen O’Neal during her detention. Frazier confirmed that O’Neal had resigned, though he did not specify a reason. The case has raised broader concerns about police mistreatment and accountability in law enforcement.
The incident began on May 5, when Cristobal was wrongly pulled over after another driver, operating a similar truck, committed an improper turn. She was then booked into the Whitfield County Jail in Dalton, where ICE officers took custody of her.
After reviewing dashboard camera footage, officials identified the mistaken identity. On May 12, the traffic charges against Cristobal were dropped, according to CBS News.
Footage from the dashcam revealed a conversation between Cristobal and Officer O’Neal. When the officer asked if she had ever been to jail and she said no, he replied, “Well, you’re going.” Cristobal responded, “I cannot go to jail. I have my finals next week. My family depends on this,” CBS News reported, underscoring her emotional plea.
For additional context, a 2024 briefing by Amnesty International documented several instances of police misconduct in Georgia. One case involved journalist Mindia Gabadze, who was attacked by a group of men while covering a protest. Nearby officers ignored his calls for help and retreated to their vehicles, and no substantial investigation followed.
Another case detailed the experience of Natia Dzidziguri, who was sexually harassed and humiliated during her arrest at a Georgia State University protest. She was insulted and forced to kneel rather than sit. Amnesty International reported that no one has been held accountable in that incident either.
Cristobal, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico at the age of four, was held at the Lumpkin ICE detention facility beginning in early May. She remained in custody until May 22, when an immigration judge granted her bond, according to CBS News.
Shortly after her release, her father was also detained by ICE during a routine traffic stop and transferred to the same Lumpkin facility. He, too, was granted bond last week, CBS News reported.
Despite their release, CBS stated that both Cristobal and her father still face potential deportation, with ICE initiating removal proceedings against them. The Department of Homeland Security has expressed that the two should face “consequences” for being in the U.S. without legal status.
According to The Guardian, O’Neal wrote in a resignation letter: “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.”
The Guardian article highlighted the lack of departmental response to the controversy. While O’Neal sought to defend his position, members of the public are demanding accountability, transparency, and reform. The resignation, though a form of action, came from the officer himself—not as a result of departmental discipline. This raises concerns about the precedent for police accountability in Georgia.
CBS News’s reporting on Cristobal and Officer O’Neal underscores a troubling pattern in which Georgia police mistreat individuals without consequence. In this case, the officer’s resignation marks a departure from the norm, but it remains unclear whether this outcome signals a shift in departmental standards. Since the resignation was voluntary, it may not represent systemic change.
As Local3News reported, there was a range of opinions regarding the detainment of Ximena Arias and her father, but significant public support emerged during her time in ICE custody. Protesters organized demonstrations in front of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s office, carrying signs and chanting for Cristobal’s release.
One protester told Local3News, “It’s just horrifying to think of a 19-year-old, who’s barely more than a child, in an ICE detention center.” Another added, “I love being here with them, standing side-by-side, fighting for justice for Ximena.”
However, opposing views were also voiced. In an article by Newsweek, Congresswoman Greene stated, “The law is the law, and we don’t get to pick and choose who gets to break the law and who gets to follow the law.” She further defended ICE’s role by pointing out that many American citizens live in Mexico, and suggested that living there is not a punishment.
The decision to detain Ximena Arias Cristobal and her father raises serious policy concerns. Central to the issue is that Cristobal was wrongly stopped, and it was during this traffic stop—unrelated to any criminal activity—that her immigration status was exposed. The case raises pressing questions about the increasing entanglement of local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities.
If similar unwarranted traffic stops continue, and undocumented individuals are routinely detained as a result, cooperation between ICE and local police could expand. Such developments would intensify the fear undocumented individuals face in daily life, making interactions with any level of law enforcement fraught with the risk of detention and deportation.
