A 21-year-old man who was brought to the United States as an infant is now in immigration custody after a traffic stop in Georgia, according to his partner.
Alejandro Bahena, a Mexican national, was driving with his partner, Desmaih Mock, to pick up his mother from work in Augusta on November 10 at around 8 p.m. when they were pulled over by local police.
Mock said the officer cited the vehicle for lapsed insurance, even though she believed the payment had been made and was still processing. Bahena was then arrested for driving without a license. Once authorities learned that he did not have U.S. immigration documentation, he was detained and later transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Atlanta, where he was placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told Newsweek that Bahena was arrested by ICE “after he was charged by local authorities for driving without a license.”
“Bahena freely admitted to being in the country illegally,” McLaughlin said.
Mock described the emotional toll of his detention, saying her mental health has deteriorated.
“My mental health has reached an all-time low. I can’t eat, and sleeping is even harder. Hearing him cry over the phone and how bad they are treating him absolutely shattered me, and being someone who struggled with depression in the past, I see myself falling deeper and deeper into that depression,” she told Newsweek.
She said Bahena has reported harsh treatment and disrespect from ICE staff.
“He said the ICE agents were extremely rude and violent. He is being treated as if he were a criminal or animal,” Mock said.
The Trump administration is moving ahead with what it has described as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, part of its broader hardline immigration agenda. ICE and Border Patrol have faced heightened scrutiny amid allegations of misconduct and overly aggressive enforcement tactics.
Mock said Bahena has spent nearly his entire life in the United States, attended local schools, and has no criminal record. She described him as a dedicated provider who worked in construction and did repair jobs to support their family while she studies cardiovascular sonography in college.
“His son cries every night asking where his dad is, and when he is coming home. No child deserves to feel this pain. His father is a great man and always took care of us,” she said.
According to Mock, Bahena suffers from anxiety-related heart issues and recently fractured a rib. She said he has told her about difficult conditions at the ICE facility in Atlanta, including extreme heat, limited access to water, and having to sleep on the floor. She said that his requests for medical care have been dismissed and that he has described the situation as “torture.”
“He was only given a small water bottle, and didn’t eat that whole day because he was transferred there later in the day and missed their lunchtime,” she said.
Mock and other family members are deeply concerned about the possibility that Bahena could be deported to Mexico, a country she says he does not know.
“He knows no one in Mexico and knows nothing about Mexico, so if he gets deported, it’ll be really hard for him,” she said.
Mock, a U.S. citizen, added that she has struggled to obtain clear updates from ICE about his status or what may happen next.
