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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Crime & Justice

ICE arrests mother and daughter at Florida hospital after car crash

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • An Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by ICE agents at a Florida hospital following a car crash.
  • The women, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla and Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, were hospitalized after their vehicle overturned.
  • Authorities discovered the mother had overstayed her visa, leading to their detention after medical discharge.

An Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a Florida hospital after being involved in a serious car crash. Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter, Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, were transported to HCA Florida Poinciana hospital on August 20 following the accident in Poinciana, Florida.

As part of a crash investigation on Thursday, deputies went to the local hospital to speak with the occupants of one of the vehicles … As the deputies were obtaining information from those involved, it was discovered that the driver is in the United States illegally from Ecuador after overstaying an expired visa by several years.

— Polk County Sheriff's Office spokespersonExplaining the circumstances that led to the discovery of the women's immigration status during the crash investigation.

According to Jonathan Bravo, a cousin of Calero Cabanilla, the pair were nearly killed when their car flipped over four times after being struck by another vehicle. After their hospital admission, a Polk County sheriff's deputy reportedly inquired about Calero Cabanilla's immigration status. Video footage shared online appeared to show law enforcement officers separating the mother and daughter in their hospital beds and escorting Calero Cabanilla away.

A spokesperson for the Polk County Sheriff's Office stated that deputies were investigating the crash and discovered the driver, Calero Cabanilla, was in the United States illegally after overstaying her visa for several years. They also determined her daughter had overstayed her visa. ICE subsequently issued detainers for both women, and they were taken into custody at the Polk County Jail after being discharged from the hospital. Arrest records reviewed by Newsweek indicated neither woman had a criminal history.

the two women embracing in tears on a hospital bed as law enforcement officers attempted to separate them.

— Video posted online by Gia CaleroDescribing the emotional scene captured on video as officers intervened.

Bravo claimed that Calero Cabanilla has a pending asylum case and a work permit, while her daughter holds a visa valid until 2030. These arrests occur amidst a series of recent ICE detentions that have drawn significant criticism nationwide, including the apprehension of a sailor's father and several academics. The Guardian has reached out to ICE and the Polk County Sheriff's Office for further comment.

Where’s the paper? Where’s the arrest warrant?

— Person filming the videoQuestioning the legal basis for the officers' actions as they escorted Calero Cabanilla from the hospital room.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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