UMD student faces deportation after ICE arrest, despite community's call for release
ICE plans to deport UMD student taken into custody with her mother
ICE said it plans to deport Maria Jose Flores Garcia, a University of Maryland freshman who was taken into custody along with her mother.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A 19-year-old University of Maryland freshman will remain in federal custody facing deportation under an existing removal order, according to the Department of Homeland Security, despite calls from Prince George’s County leaders demanding her release.
What we know:
According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Maria Jose Flores Garcia on Nov. 5. Federal authorities stated that Flores Garcia, a native of El Salvador, entered the United States without inspection before being arrested in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas on Dec. 16, 2016. She was reportedly placed into removal proceedings and released into the country by the Obama administration.
DHS officials said an immigration judge issued Flores Garcia a final order of removal on Feb. 23, 2021, and that she will remain in ICE custody pending her removal from the country.
Prince George’s County leaders call for release of UMD student, mother detained by ICE
RELATED: University of Maryland student and her mother detained by ICE during immigration check-in
The arrest occurred during an annual immigration check-in in Baltimore alongside her mother, 48-year-old Mirna Flores Garcia. According to Maria's boyfriend, authorities informed the mother she was being detained, and Maria refused to leave her mother's side when given the option to walk away, leading to her detention as well.
A DHS spokesperson stated that the administration "will not ignore the rule of law," while pointing to federal self-deportation options through the CBP Home App offering $3,000 and a flight to leave the country.
What we don't know:
Federal authorities have not released details regarding the current legal status or custody location of Maria’s mother, Mirna Flores Garcia. It also remains unclear whether immigration attorneys will file an emergency petition to stay the deportation or when federal authorities plan to carry out the removal.
The backstory:
The family immigrated to the United States from El Salvador when Flores Garcia was 9 years old. A public health major aspiring to become a doctor, Flores Garcia graduated as the valedictorian of Parkdale High School’s class of 2026 and attends the University of Maryland on an academic scholarship.
The detentions sparked swift outcry from local officials and the campus community. Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy expressed outrage over the arrests, calling for both women to be released immediately and pledging to work with state and federal partners to secure their freedom.
Prince George’s County leaders call for release of UMD student, mother detained by ICE
What they're saying:
"Obviously, people come into this country with hopes and opportunities that they might not have in other countries, and she had fulfilled at the best of her power the opportunity she was given…and it would be very sad for all of her hard work and her time to be just put to waste," said Flores Garcia’s boyfriend, Cesar Saavedra.
Flores Garcia’s former teacher shared how, just a few months ago, she was the valedictorian of her class. During her speech, Flores Garcia spoke to her graduating class about how difficult it was to migrate to the U.S. from El Salvador at 9 years old. Her former teacher also said it's been frustrating to see comments with little compassion for Flores Garcia’s situation.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen also spoke out in response to the detention of Flores Garcia and her mother, saying, "Detaining Maria Flores Garcia – a former high school valedictorian and current student at the University of Maryland – puts a clear lie to ICE’s claim that they are going after ‘the worst of the worst.’ They are not. They are going after whoever they please, and it’s clear they’re not making our communities any safer."
The University of Maryland also acknowledged the situation in a campus statement, saying its thoughts are with the student, her family and friends, and that university staff are working to provide resources where possible. Family members, friends and local advocates are continuing efforts to coordinate legal representation for both women.
FOX 5 DC has reached out to Flores Garcia’s immigration attorneys, who said they have no further details on the case at this time.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Department of Homeland Security, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, the University of Maryland and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.