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Border Patrol detains UC Berkeley student visiting San Diego

Cal student detained after visa expires
Posted at 6:38 PM, Jan 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-04 23:09:20-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A UC Berkley student is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement's custody Thursday after being detained at an immigration checkpoint in East San Diego County.

Luis Mora, 20, and his girlfriend were heading home from a party Saturday night when they took a wrong turn and ended up at a checkpoint in Jamul.

A spokeswoman for ICE says Luis Mora was found in violation of his visa condition and was detained by Border Patrol.

Mora overstayed his visa while visiting the U.S. from Colombia as a child and became an unauthorized immigrant, officials say.

Mora is a first-semester transfer student at Cal and was visiting his girlfriend's family over winter break, according to friends.

Various groups and individuals have begun using the hashtag #FreeLuis on social media to raise awareness for the detained college student.

An immigration law firm from the Bay Area has taken Mora’s case and hopes to have him released so he can attend Cal for his second semester.

Mora is currently being held at a detention center in Otay Mesa waiting for hearing with an immigration judge.