A University of Florida student has been deported to Colombia after a March 28 traffic stop in Gainesville escalated into an immigration case, prompting a wave of concern from fellow students, advocacy groups, and lawmakers.

Felipe Zapata Velázquez, 27, a Colombian national and third-year undergraduate studying food and resource economics, was stopped by Gainesville police for alleged traffic violations. According to police records obtained by NBC 6 South Florida, he was cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license, having an illegal license plate, and possessing an expired registration tag.

Body camera footage released by NBC 6 shows a cooperative interaction in which Zapata Velázquez identifies himself as a student. “I’m an international student. I just came from Colombia,” he tells the officer.

Despite holding a valid F-1 student visa, the arrest triggered a referral to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which detained him and transported him to the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade County.

There, Zapata Velázquez was reportedly given two options: remain in detention while his immigration case proceeded or sign papers agreeing to deportation. According to his mother, Claudia Velázquez, speaking to Colombian media outlet Nuestra Tele Noticias and NBC 6, he chose deportation to avoid extended incarceration.

“At this time, Felipe is undergoing a physical and emotional recovery process,” she said in a statement translated by NBC 6. “We are prioritizing his well-being and overall health. I sincerely appreciate the interest, solidarity, and support that many have expressed.”

The incident has sparked intense backlash from immigration advocates and elected officials. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who serves on the House Oversight Committee, criticized ICE’s handling of the case, attributing the outcome to the broader immigration enforcement agenda of former President Donald Trump.

“Felipe Zapata Velázquez is just the latest victim of Trump’s disgusting campaign against immigrants,” Frost said in a statement. “What should have been a routine traffic stop resulted in a nightmare. Felipe was forced to live in the hell on Earth that is the Krome Detention Center while awaiting deportation orders.”

University of Florida officials confirmed that Zapata Velázquez was enrolled as a student in good standing but declined to provide further comment due to federal student privacy laws.

In response to the deportation, the University of Florida Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) announced a protest scheduled for Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. on campus. Organizers say the demonstration aims to demand the reinstatement of Zapata Velázquez’s student status and highlight the vulnerability of international students under current immigration enforcement policies.

Dimitris Liveris, president of UF’s YDSA chapter, said students are increasingly fearful that even minor infractions could lead to detention or deportation.

“Right now, we’re seeing waves and waves of fear throughout the student body,” Liveris told NBC 6. “People don’t know what’s going to get them placed in an ICE prison.”

Zapata Velázquez’s deportation adds to growing national scrutiny over how ICE handles cases involving students legally residing in the U.S., and how routine encounters with law enforcement can result in life-altering consequences.