A University of Utah student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 5 following a minor traffic stop on the way to Denver, Colorado.

Caroline Dias Goncalves, originally from Brazil, applied for asylum three years ago, but her case is still pending, according to her family.

The arrest comes amid a wave of mass deportations occurring across the country, driven by immigration enforcement efforts established by the Trump administration.

Dias Goncalves, 19, is a nursing student at the University of Utah and a recipient of a scholarship from TheDream.US, the nation’s largest program supporting undocumented immigrant youth. As a Utah Dreamer, she is part of a group of first-generation immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and have grown up here.

Although most family and friends of Dias Goncalves did not respond to requests for comment, one relative told The Daily Utah Chronicle they feared further public backlash, noting that media coverage had already sparked a wave of hateful reactions.

Details of the arrest

According to accounts by family and friends shared with The Salt Lake Tribune, Dias Goncalves was pulled over in Fruita, Colorado, during a traffic stop. The officer reportedly cited her for “driving too close to a semi-truck.”

Relatives say the situation escalated when the officer began questioning the authenticity of her Utah driver’s license, allegedly suggesting it was fake, expressing skepticism about her residency and pointing out her accent as justification. Despite this, the officer ultimately let her go with a warning.

Just a few miles later, near Grand Junction, Dias Goncalves was stopped again — this time by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who put her under arrest.

She has now been held in ICE detention in Aurora, Colorado, for 11 days in what a relative described to The Tribune as “harsh” conditions.” Dias Goncalves is reportedly sharing a cell with 17 other women.

In the wake of Dias Goncalves’ arrest, family and friends launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal expenses, travel, and court-related expenditures. The fundraiser, which initially aimed to raise $20,000, surpassed its goal in just days, bringing in over $25,000 from more than 740 individual donations as of June 16.

Additionally, the President and CEO of TheDream.US Gaby Pacheco created a Change.org petition to free Dias Goncalves from ICE detention. As of June 16, the petition has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures, reflecting growing public support for her case.

“She holds a valid work permit, pays taxes and has contributed positively to her campus and her community,” the petition said. “Yet she is being treated like a threat, not a student. Like so many Dreamers, Caroline’s only ‘crime’ was coming to this country as a child in search of a better life.”

Next steps in the case

According to a friend who spoke with The Tribune, Dias Goncalves is expected to make her initial court appearance on June 18. However, beyond this date, few details regarding the circumstances of her detention have been made publicly available.

As of now, the U has not issued a public statement addressing Dias Goncalves’ arrest.

Her detention adds to growing concern on campus surrounding immigration and student status. In April 2025, 18 University of Utah students and recent graduates had their visas revoked and their records removed from a federal immigration database.

Support for Dias Goncalves remains on social media, where users are sharing posts using the hashtag #FreeCaroline to raise awareness to her situation. Informational posts, including one shared by @thedream.us and @gabypacheco1, outline the details of her case and encourage continued advocacy.

“Caroline came to the U.S. at the age of 7 and is one of our Scholars,” the post reads. “Instead of nurturing her talent and potential, our immigration system has her locked up in a for-profit ICE detention. We must call this what it is: a moral failure and an assault on our shared values.”

[email protected]

@anjaliiyer6.bsky.social