Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detains Ecuadorian Mother and Daughter in Hospital After August 20 Crash

On August 20, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla and her daughter Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero were injured when their vehicle rolled after a collision on Marigold Avenue and Sheldrake Road in Poinciana, Florida. After treatment at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital, Polk County deputies identified immigration violations, obtained ICE detainers, and escorted both women to the Polk County Jail while still under medical care.

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Florida’s law-enforcement agencies operate under a Section 287(g) agreement that authorizes designated deputies to question individuals about immigration status and to coordinate with ICE. By February 2025, every sheriff’s office in the state’s 67 counties had signed such agreements. In January 2025, DHS rescinded guidance that discouraged immigration arrests in “sensitive locations” such as hospitals, allowing agents to act on a case-by-case basis.

Latin Times

• March 8 2023 – ICE records show Calero Cabanilla entered the United States legally.

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• February 8 2025 – ICE records show Carriel Calero entered legally.

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• August 20 – Crash occurs; women are hospitalized.

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• Later on August 20 – Deputies interview the patients, discover visa overstays, and request ICE assistance.

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• Following discharge – ICE detainers are lodged; both women are taken into custody and transferred to the Polk County Jail.

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• The crash fully totaled the car.

The Guardian

• Both women have no criminal history, according to arrest affidavits reviewed by Newsweek.

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• All 67 Florida counties have active 287(g) agreements as of early 2025.

Latin Times

• ICE confirmed that detainers were placed on both women after the crash and that they will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.

Newsweek

Family members allege that Carriel Calero suffered multiple seizures and was still wearing a hospital gown when officers removed her. Hospital records have not confirmed the seizures, and no public statement from the sheriff’s office or ICE addresses this specific medical claim. Relatives also say Calero Cabanilla holds a pending asylum application and a work permit, but those filings have not been independently verified.

Newsweek

• “It was a very severe accident,” — Jonathan Bravo, an agency spokesperson

Newsweek

• “We just want the truth to be out there,” — Jonathan Bravo, an agency spokesperson

Newsweek

The case shows how the 2025 policy shift permitting ICE arrests in hospitals can intersect with emergency medical care, raising concerns about patient safety and the ability of hospitals to provide uninterrupted treatment. Advocacy groups warn that such practices may deter undocumented immigrants from seeking urgent care, potentially worsening public-health outcomes in communities with large immigrant populations. The incident also highlights the expanding role of 287(g) agreements in everyday law-enforcement activities.

Latin Times