University of Maryland student, Parkdale High School valedictorian, detained by ICE

Less than six months ago, University of Maryland student Maria Flores Garcia, 19, delivered her valedictorian speech at Parkdale High School’s graduation in Prince George’s County.

Today, she sits in ICE custody in Louisiana with her mother.

Flores Garcia and her mother drove to an annual immigration check-in in Baltimore last Thursday, an appointment that in the past has taken about 30 minutes, Flores Garcia’s boyfriend, Cesar Saavedra, said.

At the appointment, ICE officers asked Flores Garcia if she wanted to remain with her mother or leave, Saavedra said. Flores Garcia chose to stay and the two were taken into ICE custody. They’ve since been transported to a facility in Louisiana.

Saavedra, a graduate of DuVal High School, has spoken to his girlfriend over the phone multiple times since she was detained. The two have been together since the eighth grade and celebrated their five-year anniversary the week of her detention.

“Sometimes she’s very hopeful, sometimes she’s very helpless,” Saavedra said of his girlfriend’s spirits during these conversations.

He has raised over $25,000 for the mother and daughter’s legal fees via GoFundMe. The two are being represented by immigration lawyers from Murray Osorio PLLC, who didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said in a statement that she is “outraged and deeply concerned” by the detention of Flores Garcia and her mother, whom she called a “law abiding county resident.”

“Maria and her mother should know they are not alone: the people of Prince George’s County stand firmly with them,” Braveboy’s statement said. “We are calling for Maria’s immediate release and safe return home.”

After graduating from Parkdale, Flores Garcia received a scholarship that covered her tuition at the University of Maryland, where she is studying public health and hopes to become a doctor. She commuted to classes from her family’s Prince George’s County home and worked at a nearby elementary school.

Flores Garcia loves kids and is “a very caring person” who loves to listen to others. Her mother is the same way and “likes to joke around,” said Saavedra.

Saavedra said he has been reaching out to lawmakers and “anyone with power” to plead his girlfriend’s case.

The university in a statement said that it is aware one of its students has been detained.

“We are working to connect our student’s loved ones with elected officials, including members of our Congressional delegation who are offering assistance to their constituent,” the university said.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in a statement that Flores Garcia’s detention “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,” Van Hollen said.

ICE did not respond to The Banner’s request for comment.

Flores Garcia immigrated to the U.S. when she was 9.

“I was the new girl who struggled to understand words and had to wait for someone to translate even the simplest instructions,” she said during her valedictory address.

She recalled spending “countless” hours translating her homework with her dad before becoming the star student who earned college scholarships.

“It is crucial that you never underestimate the power of determination,” Flores Garcia said in her speech.