Giovanna Hernandez-Martinez, a 24-year-old Leeds, Alabama, resident and community advocate, was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) custody after a traffic stop by local police on the highway.

ICE records reviewed by Newsweek show that she is being held at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana.

Why it Matters

Hernandez-Martinez has been described by friends and family as a counselor and organizer who worked with immigrant youth. She arrived in the United States at age 7 and was raised in Alabama, ultimately graduating as valedictorian of her high school class and later earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees in social work. She has her own LLC and also works at Birmingham-based ¡HICA!, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant famil

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