A University of Maryland student who previously served as her Prince George's County high school valedictorian has spoken out from an immigration detention facility in Louisiana after being taken into custody alongside her mother by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Maria Flores Garcia, a former Parkdale High School valedictorian originally from El Salvador who arrived in the United States at age nine, was detained during a routine immigration check-in at an ICE office in Baltimore when she chose to remain with her mother as agents moved to take her into custody.
Speaking to media outlets from detention, Garcia expressed disbelief over her surroundings and shared her heartbreak over being separated from her normal life. She noted that she frequently catches herself thinking about what she should be doing in her math classes or on campus, emphasizing that she shares the facility with many others who lack criminal records and have built peaceful lives in the United States without harming anyone. Garcia described the facility conditions as devastating, citing a large shared room filled with coughing and unpleasant odors, and admitted that while she tries to stay true to herself and support those around her, there are moments when she breaks down knowing her life outside is paused.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that Garcia and her mother entered the United States unlawfully and were initially apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 2016. According to the DHS, they were placed in removal proceedings and released into the country before an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on February 23, 2021, prompting officials to state that she will remain in custody pending removal while upholding the rule of law.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has publicly extended his support for Garcia, taking to social media to argue that she should be home with her family rather than detained by ICE agents after accompanying her mother to a check-in. Moore criticized the enforcement action as lacking prioritization of dangerous individuals and called on leadership to halt such community attacks if they intend to work on future immigration agreements.