A Trion High School senior who was expected to graduate in just a few weeks is now in ICE custody following a traffic stop in Walker County.

Nineteen-year-old Elder Aguilar-Macario was arrested on misdemeanor charges of driving without a license and failure to maintain lane. Following the arrest, he was transferred to Floyd County and later placed into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

Aguilar-Macario came to Trion as an eight-year-old first grader in 2014 and has spent more than a decade in the Trion school system. Friends, classmates, and school staff say he has been an active member of the school community, including playing for the Trion High School soccer team during its playoff run to the Elite Eight this season.

School counselor Erika Dover said several school staff members, including Coach Cornett and Mr. Edge, remained at the Walker County Jail for hours after the arrest attempting to get information and support their student.

According to Dover, Aguilar-Macario contacted his parents after being transferred to Floyd County, where school officials later learned he would be held for ICE authorities pending transfer to an immigration detention facility.

Dover described the situation as heartbreaking and questioned what options were realistically available to a child brought into the country at a young age.

“He didn’t even make that choice himself,” Dover said. “He’s had no way to gain legal status, and it’s not like a high school kid can just take himself back to Guatemala — but he’s still paying for it like a criminal.”

Dover said Aguilar-Macario has been part of the Trion community since childhood and described him as a good student and teammate who was preparing for graduation and looking toward his future.

She also urged compassion from the community, saying she has struggled to identify what the student could have realistically done differently to avoid the situation.

Aguilar-Macario remains in ICE custody awaiting transfer to a detention facility.