Georgia College Student a Reluctant Immigration Symbol

Georgia College Student a Reluctant Immigration Symbol: Jessica Colotl always has tried to keep a low profile, obeying the speed limit and making sure her lights work properly on her car knowing that a brush with law enforcement could lead to her deportation and cost her a college diploma.

After a few close calls, her fears were realized last spring, when she was stopped for a minor traffic violation, charged with driving without a license and turned over to immigration authorities. Colotl spent 37 days in a detention center in Alabama before she was let out and given a year to finish her studies at Kennesaw State University.

Before her arrest, Colotl had revealed her immigration status only to her closest friends. In the five weeks she was held last spring, her sorority sisters marched to have her freed, her case went viral, and she was thrust into the national spotlight.