A 24-year-old woman from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona was arrested for allegedly driving without a license in September and was detained at a Polk County Jail in Des Moines, Iowa. Leticia Jacobo, who was born in Phoenix and is an American citizen, was scheduled to be released on Nov. 11 but her family was informed that she was being held on a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The detainers are often issued when federal officials request time to determine whether federal immigration law has been violated.
Jacobo’s family scrambled to have her birth certificate delivered to officials before she was to be remanded to federal custody. She was released a day later, on Nov. 12. A spokesperson for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was the result of a clerical error. Lt. Mark Chance said the detainer was intended for a different inmate. “It was human error, but I’m sure as soon as the command staff find out about it, they’re going to have some meetings with their supervisors internally and be like, ‘Hey, guys, we gotta keep our thumb on this, this is silly,'” Chance said.
The family claimed that Jacobo had her tribal identification with her at the time of her arrest and accused officials of discrimination. “I do want to say that it’s racial profiling because she’s been there before, they have a rap sheet on her — why would they make a mistake with someone that’s constantly coming in?” said Maria Nunez, Jacobo’s aunt. They also said they are considering legal action over the incident.
