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Charlotte high school senior in custody of immigration officials

By Elsa Gillis
By Elsa Gillis

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Friends and classmates are questioning why their 18-year-old friend was detained by immigration agents last week.

Mario Seijas, a senior at Northwest School of the Arts, said he received a phone call from his friend, Gustavo "Gus" Zamudio, last weekend.

“When I heard that over the phone, I freaked out. I was like, 'What?' He said, 'I'm being detained by immigration,’” Seijas said.

Zamudio’s friends and classmates, Seijas and Devyn Bauer, spoke with Channel 9 about what has been a devastating and shocking situation.

They said Zamudio is Mexican but has been living in Charlotte with his immediate family since he was a child.

"Everyone he knows, he's grown up with, he's familiar with, they're all here," Bauer said.

The teens said they are scared for their friend, especially at a time when President Donald Trump is cracking down on illegal immigration and changing policy, which is still taking shape.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement records, Zamudio is in custody at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia.

ICE released a statement on Zamudio's arrest:

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Gustavo Zamudio-Aguilar, an unlawfully present Mexican national, into ICE custody Feb. 27 following his arrest by local law enforcement on a felony larceny charge in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. ICE is focused on identifying, arresting and removing public safety threats, such as criminal aliens and gang members, as well as individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws."

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff website shows that the 18-year-old was arrested and charged with larceny by employee last week.

ICE said a federal immigration judge will determine Zamudio's custody status as well as decide whether or not he is eligible for immigration relief. ICE said it will await the outcome of the proceedings before taking further action.

This week, sheriff's office officials told Channel 9 that everyone arrested is asked where they were born and if they are an American citizen. Those who aren't go into the 287(g) program, are asked more questions, and that information goes to immigration officers, who decide if someone is detained or not.

[Sheriff provides look at program used to identify undocumented immigrants]

The department has been part of the 287(g) program since 2006. The program allows deputies to run inmates' names through immigration databases to determine if they're undocumented.

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