SALT LAKE CITY — No matter who has heard Caroline Dias Goncalves' story, everyone has the same reaction.
“Very sad what's happened,” said attorney Mark Alvarez.
“I wish I could say I was surprised. I'm not," added immigration resource director Gina Crezee. "I'm more saddened.”
The 19-year-old University of Utah student is currently being held at a detention center in Colorado after she was detained by immigration agents while traveling last week. Her family claims Caroline's asylum application is pending.
According to Goncalves' family, a police officer pulled her over for a minor traffic violation and asked questions about where she was from before letting her go. Shortly afterwards, ICE agents arrived and arrested her.
University of Utah student is being held at Colorado immigration detention center:
Attorney Mark Alvarez says while officers can report someone to ICE, this instance seems strange.
“I can't say officers don't have the right. I mean every person has the right, whether or not the person's in law enforcement or not," he said. "But it does seem strange that a police officer would report to ICE after a minor traffic stop.”
Alvarez explained how ICE activity usually occurs if someone has a criminal record or has committed a crime.
The family claimed Goncalves, who is from Brazil, had filed an asylum application, which was pending. Attorney Adam Crayk says applications through the Brazilian government are usually delayed, and if he were her attorney, there are some things he would do.
“We would be making a bond request immediately," Crayk shared. "She's obviously not a danger to the community. She has no criminal history.”
Caroline’s family told FOX 13 News that the Aurora detention center where she is being held has bad living conditions. Crayk asked one of his own clients, “Here or prison, which one was better? And he said, Adam, I would way rather be in prison.”
Both attorneys say they’ve never seen this much heightened anxiety before.
“I can't even describe it. I've never seen anything like this in my life. And I've been doing this for 20 years," said Crayk.
“People are much more anxious about immigration enforcement, about the possibility of being caught in an immigration raid," Alvarez said. "In Utah, that anxiety is much higher now than it used to be.”
Misinformation and unpredictability are causing fear, the attorneys added.
Gina Crezee, the executive director with Immigrant Legal Services, says she reminds the families she works with to know their rights.
“You have a right to an attorney. You have a right for representation. You have a right to keep your mouth shut and not say a word," she explained. "So protect yourself.”
While Utah hasn’t seen mass immigration raids as in Los Angeles or other areas around the country, some are afraid that may not last long.
“I haven't seen that happen yet in Utah," said Alvarez. "I fear that it may be coming, but it's hard to know where this is going.”
FOX 13 News reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to learn more about why Goncalves was detained, but have yet to receive a response.
