A traffic stop in Georgia marked a dramatic turn in the life of Alejandro Bahena, a 21-year-old Mexican immigrant who is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that traffic authorities stopped the young man for driving without a license. They later discovered he lacked legal documentation to reside in the United States. “Bahena freely admitted to being in the country illegally,” McLaughlin emphasized, according to Newsweek. After his arrest, he was transferred to the Federal Correctional Center (FCI) in Atlanta and turned over to ICE agents. The incident occurred on November 10th, around 8:00 p.m., when the young man was driving to pick up his mother from work in Augusta. His girlfriend, Desmaih Mock, a U.S. citizen, was in the car with him. “Hearing him cry on the phone broke my heart.” Alejandro Bahena’s girlfriend stated that he studied in the area and has no criminal record, as he has always been a devoted family man. She also emphasized that he has lived in the U.S. since he was a baby. She described him as a hard-working man who supported himself with construction and occasional repair jobs, financially supporting his family while she pursues university studies in cardiovascular ultrasound. Desmaih Mock also spoke to Newsweek and shared her deep anguish over the situation. “My mental health has hit rock bottom. I can’t eat, and sleeping is even harder. Hearing him cry on the phone and how badly he’s being treated completely broke me, and as someone who has struggled with depression in the past, I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into it.” Bahena’s arrest has also caused turmoil at home. “His son cries every night asking where his dad is and when he’ll come home. No child deserves to feel this pain.”“His father is a great man and always took care of us.”

“The ICE agents were rude and violent.”

Mock reported that the conditions in which her boyfriend is being detained could undermine his health. In this regard, Bahena reportedly told her that at the detention center he suffers from “extreme heat, lack of water, and having to sleep on the floor, and that his requests for medical attention were dismissed.”

She added that her partner described the conditions as “torture.” Bahena is also reportedly suffering from anxiety-related heart problems and recently suffered a rib fracture.

Even more alarming, Bahena reportedly confided in her about the staff's attitude. “He said that the ICE agents were extremely rude and violent. “They’re treating him like a criminal or an animal,” she said. The family fears he may be deported.

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