A Cedartown High School senior was taken into federal immigration custody weeks before she was set to graduate, according to a fundraising page created on her behalf.
What’s happening: Jaqueline Ramirez-Juarez is a senior at Cedartown High School in Polk County. She was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The fundraising page says she has legal immigration status. Graduation is about two weeks away.
What’s important: Ramirez-Juarez is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, and SkillsUSA. She has been accepted to Georgia Highlands College, where she planned to study nursing and become a registered nurse. Her family is trying to raise money to pay an immigration bond, a payment that can allow someone held in immigration custody to be released while their case is reviewed, along with legal fees.
Her situation: Ramirez-Juarez lives in a single-parent household and helps care for younger siblings at home. Her mother cannot cover the bond and legal costs, according to the fundraising page.
The timeline: Jail records show Ramirez-Juarez was arrested by Polk County Police on March 26 for failure to maintain lane and violation of instruction permit. She was held for four days for traffic violations on a $400 bond before being released from the county jail. Her ICE detention followed that release.
The money: A GoFundMe created by Emily Rodriguez has raised more than $14,000 from 334 donors. The page describes the need as urgent.
What’s still unknown: ICE has not released any information about Ramirez-Juarez’s detention. The agency has not confirmed or denied the claim that she holds legal status. The specific immigration bond amount has not been made public.
Catch up quick: Georgia ranked fourth in the country for ICE detentions in 2025, with more than 8,000 people taken into custody. In a separate case, a Savannah teacher died in March 2025 after a vehicle fleeing ICE officers struck her car in Chatham County.
Still Waiting: The Georgia Sun has asked both the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Police Department if they routinely jail high school students for four days for traffic violations. We will have answers when and if they respond.
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B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
