Dalton college student testifies about ICE arrest before Judiciary Committee

Ximena Arias-Cristobal testifies before Judiciary Committee

The Dalton college student who ended up in ICE custody -- Ximena Arias-Cristobal -- testified about her experience in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee this week.

ATLANTA - A 19-year-old college student from Georgia is sharing her story after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than two weeks.

Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a student at Dalton State College, testified Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Her appearance comes just weeks after she was mistakenly pulled over and taken into ICE custody in Georgia.

Cristobal has since been released on bond, but during her testimony, she described the emotional toll of her detention and the lasting impact of the experience.

"I experienced things while in custody that I will never forget," she told lawmakers, calling for reforms to prevent similar incidents from happening to others.

Cristobal was arrested by mistake for a traffic offense. After it was discovered that she was in the country illegally, she was turned over to ICE.

Her case has drawn attention from immigration advocates and lawmakers alike, as questions continue to mount over the circumstances that led to her arrest and the treatment of detainees in ICE facilities. She was held for a couple of weeks before she was granted bond.

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