College student detained by ICE after Colorado traffic stop
Share and Follow


Caroline Dias Goncalves was pulled over and released with a warning. Afterwards, ICE agents arrested her after she exited Interstate 70.

MESA COUNTY, Colo. — A 19-year-old university student who has lived in Utah since she was 12 and has a pending asylum case was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in early June, soon after she was released from a traffic stop by a sheriff’s deputy on Interstate 70 in Mesa County.

Caroline Dias Goncalves was on her way to Denver when she was pulled over by a Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputy while driving on I-70 outside Loma on June 5. The sheriff’s office did not say why they pulled her over but said in a statement on their website that the traffic stop lasted “less than 20 minutes.” In body camera video released by the sheriff’s office, a deputy tells Dias Goncalves that she was driving too close to a semi-truck.

The sheriff’s office said they do not investigate residency status during law enforcement interactions. 

After she was released from the traffic stop with a warning, Dias Goncalves continued her trip and exited the highway. That’s when ICE agents stopped her, arrested her and took her to the ICE detention facility in Aurora, according to NBC News.

Dias Goncalves is one of nearly 2.5 million Dreamers living in the U.S., NBC News reports. The word “Dreamer” refers to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Dias Goncalves was born in Brazil and was brought to the United States as a 7-year-old, NBC News reports.

A statement on the sheriff’s office website said they learned that the deputy involved in Dias Goncalves’ traffic stop belonged to a communication group that was also being used by federal agents investigating immigration status. 

“Through our Administrative Investigation, we have learned that the federal representatives within the communication group began using the material collected for drug interdiction efforts to extrapolate immigration information for the purposes of ICE enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said. 

The sheriff’s statement said the “use of information is contradictory to Colorado law and was initially intended for the purpose of reducing illegal drug trafficking in Colorado. Unfortunately, it resulted in the later contact between ICE and Miss Dias Goncalves.”

“We were unaware that the communication group was used for anything other than drug interdiction efforts, including immigration,” the sheriff’s office said. “We have since removed all Mesa County Sheriff’s Office members from the communication group.”

Watch the body camera footage released by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office:

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Prosecutors plan to 'dirty up' Kirk suspect Tyler Robinson to sway jury toward death penalty: fmr US atty

Prosecutors plan to ‘dirty up’ Kirk suspect Tyler Robinson to sway jury toward death penalty: fmr US atty

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Tyler Robinson’s motive for…
NFL fans slam Fox's 'shameful' on-air statement on Mark Sanchez

NFL Supporters Criticize Fox for ‘Disgraceful’ Remarks About Mark Sanchez During Broadcast

Fox Sports extended its thoughts and prayers to announcer Mark Sanchez as…
Jaxson Dart got first taste of Giants' woeful culture of losing

Jaxson Dart Experiences the Giants’ Struggles with Losing Culture

NEW ORLEANS — The room was packed with players all too familiar…
Inside America's infamous Supermax prison

A Look Inside America’s Most Notorious Supermax Prison

The former warden of America’s most notorious prison has lifted the lid…
Blue metros on the brink: 1 in 3 homes cut in desperate bid to sell

Housing Market Struggles in Major Cities: One-Third of Homes Slashed in Price for Quick Sale

Struggling urban areas are issuing significant warnings of a potential housing market…
'SNL' returns with host Bad Bunny addressing his Super Bowl halftime show

‘SNL’ Makes Its Comeback with Host Bad Bunny Discussing His Super Bowl Halftime Show

“Saturday Night Live” returned after its 50th-anniversary season by mocking President Donald…
Universal to reopen Stardust Racers ride two weeks after man's death

Universal to Reopen Stardust Racers Ride Following Two-Week Closure Due to Fatal Incident

This comes more than two weeks after a 32-year-old man died of…
Chicago crime: Police department warns of fake rideshare driver accused of sexual assault incidents in Old Town, Gold Coast

Mexican Authorities Detain Nelson Arturo ‘N,’ Suspected Leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Criminal Group

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Security Ministry said Saturday that it arrested an…