Russellville community rallies around 19-year-old detained by ICE after traffic stop

yahoo.com · By Valentina Chelala · 2026-08-06T02:45:19Z

A Russellville community is rallying around a 19-year-old recent high school graduate who is now in ICE custody, with friends, teachers and church members stepping up to support his family as his immigration case moves forward.Juan Alberto Quim graduated from Russellville High School just a few months ago. On July 29, he was pulled over in Littleville for following another vehicle too closely on his way to work. During the stop, officers discovered he did not have a driver's license and was not in the country legally. He was taken into ICE custody.His pastor, Jose Manuel Sanchez, said he drove to Littleville as soon as Quim called him."I spoke with the officials and explained that he is a good kid with no criminal record, a man who loves God," Sanchez said. "But at that point, law enforcement couldn't do anything, and they told me he was automatically going into ICE custody."Sanchez's wife, Yolanda, said the family was later told Quim's car had already been taken into county custody. She said it feels unjust that Quim was detained while others who commit serious crimes are not."It's unfair that they detained him, when there are people who are actual criminals doing bad things," she said. "Why don't they detain them?"Days after his detention, members of his church, Iglesia Bethania, gathered to pray for Quim and his family and to raise money for legal expenses. Yolanda said if Quim is deported, he will be alone, since his parents and siblings live in Russellville.Jill Bonds, one of Quim's former teachers, said watching his family go through the ordeal has been difficult."He's somebody's baby," Bonds said. "To see him removed from that situation and separated from his friends really pulled at my heart. Unfortunately, this has happened a few times because of the high Hispanic population in Russellville."Yolanda said Quim sounds scared during phone calls home and that officials have encouraged him to sign paperwork agreeing to deportation. His family has advised him against it as they pursue other legal options.Christian Sanchez, the church's worship leader, said Quim has lived in the U.S. for 10 years without a criminal record and believes ICE should focus elsewhere."ICE needs to target people who are a threat to our community, not people like him, because he adds to our community," he said.Christian Sanchez, who came to the U.S. at age 11, said he relates to Quim's situation."He's been here since he was 8 or 9 years old. Myself, I came here at 11. Like him, there's nothing for us back in our countries. All we've known is the U.S.," he said. "For us to go back is like starting over again. There's no job security, nothing. I feel like there should be a path for people like him who have no criminal background whatsoever."According to Sanchez, Quim is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Birmingham and is expected to be transferred to Louisiana as his immigration case continues.A GoFundMe created by a family friend has raised more than $8,000 to help cover Quim's legal expenses and other costs as his family navigates the immigration process. You can find the link to the fundraiser HERE.Note: Some quotes in this story were translated from Spanish.