Dallas-Born U.S. Citizen Held In Immigration Detention For Nearly A Month

(Francisco Galicia via Facebook)

An 18-year-old U.S. citizen was detained at a border Patrol checkpoint for almost a month, reports Buzzfeed News.

Francisco Galicia was stopped while driving to a soccer recruiting event from his home in the border town of Edinburg on June 27. Even though he had his Texas ID and his birth certificate, he was held in custody for 26 days.

"The officers were just telling him they didn't believe he was a US citizen, he was Mexican and should go back to Mexico," attorney Claudia Galan told BuzzFeed News. "He said that it was inhumane, the worst experience ever. He doesn't wish that to anybody."

While held in immigration detention, Francisco slept on the floor of a cell crowded with 60 men. He was denied access to a phone to call his mother or lawyer. During that time, he lost 20 pounds from a lack of food.

Francisco told the Dallas Morning News he was also unable to shower for 23 days while in custody.

The conditions were so terrible, Francisco considered signing the paperwork that would deport him to Mexico just to get out.

The high school student was born in Dallas in December 2000, according to his birth certificate.

While in custody, officers ran Francisco's name and discovered an old travel visa.

The visa had been applied for by his mother when he was a child. Because she didn't enter the country legally, she had used a different name on his birth certificate and didn't believe she could get him a US passport.

Because of the "conflicting reports," ICE and CBP say they had taken appropriate steps.

"Situations including conflicting reports from the individual and multiple birth certificates can, and should, take more time to verify," the agencies said. "While we continue to research the facts of the situation, the individual has been released from ICE custody."

Note - "Take more time to verify?" He was in custody for 26 days and had an American birth certificate.

You can almost understand taking a few hours. MAYBE a day?

But he's in the system as an American who was born in Dallas.

Look out, folks. Don't think it can't happen to you.

In January, a US-born Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan had his US passport, had a REAL ID driver’s license, had his military ID card, and his US Marine Corps dog tags with him when he was arrested in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was held for three days before he was released.