DENVER (KDVR) A teenager detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on June 5 is now free and speaking out about the conditions she faced while in the Aurora contract facility.
Caroline Dias Goncalves, 19, of Utah, was pulled over on June 5 after a Mesa County deputy witnessed her pulling in front of a semitruck, causing the driver to have to use their brakes. Goncalves was released with a written warning from the traffic stop. She also told the deputy during the traffic stop that she’s been living in Utah for over a decade, but was born in Brazil.
Shortly after the traffic stop, Goncalves was detained by ICE agents and taken to ICE’s contract detention facility in Aurora, run by the GEO Group. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office said that it had deputies included in a “communication group” that also included federal law enforcement. The group was intended to be used for drug interdiction efforts.
Teen says treatment of English-speaking inmates differed
On Friday, a 19-year-old University of Utah student and TheDream.US scholar was released from the Aurora facility after posting bond. On Monday, she released a statement detailing the 15 days of confinement that she endured after she was detained.
Goncalves said the 15 days in ICE detention were the “hardest of my life,” and said she felt scared and alone while inside.
“I was placed in a system that treated me like I didn’t matter. In detention, we were given soggy, wet food – even the bread would come wet,” Goncalves wrote. “We were kept on confusing schedules. And the moment they realized I spoke English, I saw a change. Suddenly, I was treated better than others who didn’t speak English. That broke my heart. Because no one deserves to be treated like that. Not in a country that I’ve called home since I was 7 years old and is all I’ve ever known.”
ICE officer apologized to Utah student for detention
The 19-year-old thanked her friends and family for fighting for her release, as well as organizations and senators who made calls on her behalf.
“And even to the ICE officer who detained me he kept apologizing and told me he wanted to let me go, but his ‘hands were tied,'” Goncalves wrote. “There was nothing he could do, even though he knew it wasn’t right. I want you to know—I forgive you. Because I believe that people can make better choices when they’re allowed to.”
She said that she hopes no one else has to endure the same conditions, but noted that there are over 1,300 people inside the Aurora GEO Group facility facing “that same nightmare.”
“They are just like me including other people who’ve grown up here, who love this country, who want nothing more than a chance to belong,” Goncalves wrote.
Teen’s detention garnered national attention
Gaby Pacheco, CEO and President of TheDream.US, said that Goncalves’ detention was likely illegal, and called the matter “not just a policy failure. It is a moral one.”
“We are hurting our nation—and our very soul—when we target immigrant youth this way. One traffic stop. One unlawful arrest. And a lifetime of trauma. Enough is enough,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco noted that Goncalves’ detention drew headlines from around the U.S.
Goncalves said she is now focusing on moving forward from the incident, but won’t forget the matter.
“Immigrants like me—we’re not asking for anything special. Just a fair chance to adjust our status, to feel safe, and to keep building the lives we’ve worked so hard for in the country we call home,” Goncalves wrote.
