A University of Maryland freshman and her mother are being held in Louisiana by federal immigration authorities following a scheduled check-in Baltimore that turned into an enforcement action, according to family and federal statements.
Maria Flores Garcia, who graduated as the valedictorian of Parkdale High School’s class of 2026 in Prince George’s County, was taken into custody alongside her mother last week. The two arrived in the United States from El Salvador when Flores Garcia was 9 years old, according to FOX 5 DC.
The sequence of events began when Flores Garcia and her mother reported to a facility in Baltimore for a routine appointment. According to the student’s boyfriend, Cesar Saavedra, officials asked Flores Garcia during the appointment whether she wished to leave or remain with her mother. Not fully grasping the implications of the question, she chose to stay, and enforcement personnel detained her minutes afterward.
Why would a valedictorian student, obviously going to college, doing everything right and then get detained with her mother? I feel like that should not be what’s going on right now in the country at the moment,
Saavedra said, as reported by WBAL-TV.
Following their detention in Maryland, both Flores Garcia and her mother were transferred to Louisiana. Saavedra established an online fundraiser that has generated more than $25,000 to assist with mounting legal expenses.
In an official statement regarding the case, the Department of Homeland Security stated that Flores Garcia entered the United States unlawfully and was apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in December 2016. Agency records indicate she initiated removal proceedings before being released pending further review, and an immigration judge subsequently issued a final removal order in February 2021.
Prior to her detention, Flores Garcia delivered an address at her high school commencement in May 2026, reflecting on her early years in the country. At the age of 9, like many other children, I faced the challenge of starting over,
she told the audience. I was the new girl who struggled to understand the words and had to wait for someone to translate even the simplest instructions.
Having secured a full scholarship to the University of Maryland, she commenced studies in public health with the goal of pursuing a career as a physician.
The detention has drawn sharp criticism from regional political figures. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen released a statement condemning the enforcement action.
Donald Trump’s reckless and out-of-control operations continue to wreak havoc on our communities,
Van Hollen said, criticizing federal enforcement tactics. Detaining Maria Flores Garcia – a former high school valedictorian and current student at the University of Maryland – puts a clear lie to ICE’s claim that they are going after ‘the worst of the worst.’
University officials acknowledged the situation in a campus statement, noting that administrators are aware a student was taken into custody off-campus by immigration authorities and are working to supply appropriate support resources.
Meanwhile, legal advocates and family representatives continue to assess options for the detained student and her mother as they remain held in Louisiana pending federal deportation proceedings.
