Eriel Gomez-Viva/Nicaragua/Child Cruelty

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Eriel Gomez-Viva in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Nicaragua national — in the country illegally — faces charges of child cruelty.

The charges filed against Gomez-Viva carry criminal penalties under state law and separately provide grounds for federal immigration enforcement. Local prosecutors will handle the criminal case through the state court system while federal immigration authorities pursue removal in a concurrent proceeding, both matters moving simultaneously on independent timelines.

Gomez-Viva is currently in federal immigration custody awaiting a hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge, which will determine whether removal to Nicaragua is ordered.