Ximena Arias-Cristobal granted bond in deportation case

Ximena Arias-Cristobal / GoFundMe

UPDATE: We spoke with Arias-Cristobal’s lawyer, Dustin Baxter, who says that the judge instantly saw that Arias-Cristobal was deserving of this bond following the circumstances of her arrest in Dalton.

Baxter said, “It wasn’t hard for her to see that Xiamena was in fact not a danger because she is of value to her community and is not a flight risk because she is only 19 and in college.”

She had been arrested following a traffic stop by a Dalton Police Officer, a stop Dalton Police admitted should not have happened.

They say that the officer mistook her vehicle for another one that committed a traffic violation.

She was then taken into custody by ICE because she was illegally brought into the country when she was four years old.

Baxter believes there could be two possible ways for this situation to be resolved that allows her to remain in America.

One would be to attach her case to her father’s, as they plan to argue that he should get lawful status since he’s been in the country for over ten years and has no criminal record.

He says this would allow Xiamena to attach her petition to his if granted.

Additionally, there could be a path through the arrest Dalton Police say was unlawful.

Baxter said, “If her arrest was a targeted arrest, or false arrest, then we may be able to get that certified and apply for a U Visa which would give her and her parents lawful status in the United States.”

Baxter says that Arias-Cristobal has preserved through her tough circumstances.

Baxter said, “I’ve become quite the fan of Xiamena. She is an awesome young person. She’s selfless. She’s patient. She’s kind. She’s friendly to everybody. She passed her time in detention instead of just sitting on her cot or on the floor where they had her sleeping and moping. She spent time helping everybody else the best she could because she is fluent in Spanish and English, that gave her the opportunity to give her the opportunity to help a lot of people who are detained… I have kids, and I hope and pray my kids develop and show those virtues and talents that she has throughout this process.”

Baxter says it could be up to two years before a preliminary hearing is held due to the backlog in the immigration system.

Arias-Cristobal should be home sometime on Thursday.

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DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) —  Ximena Arias-Cristobal, the woman from Dalton who faces deportation, has been granted bond.

Cristobal was given a $1,500 bond Wednesday afternoon.

Her attorney, Dustin Baxter, said the judge determined she isn’t a flight risk or a danger to the community.

“The Department of Homeland Security indicated that it would not appeal the judge’s decision.  The family will pay the bond ASAP and Ximena will be home with her family tomorrow afternoon at the latest,” said Baxter.

Cristobal was mistakenly pulled over during a traffic stop in early May of 2025.

The officer who pulled her over thought she made an illegal right turn at an intersection.

However, the officer mistakenly identified Cristobal’s truck as the offending vehicle.

She was taken into custody and placed in an ICE detention center.

While in custody, the traffic charges against Cristobal were dismissed, and her bond hearing was scheduled for May 20, 2025.

Due to technical issues, the hearing was moved to Wednesday, May 21, at 1:00 p.m.