CLAUDIA CAROLINA RODRIGUEZ CAGLIANONE, a 29-year-old immigrant from Venezuela, was released Monday evening after being detained by immigration officials last month at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The recent graduate of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens described her detention experience as traumatic during a news conference alongside U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). Rodriguez Caglianone stated that while she is now free, her heart remains with those still locked inside South Florida immigration facilities, where she alleges severe neglect and dehumanizing conditions.
Allegations of Neglect at Miramar Facility
Rodriguez Caglianone was detained in July while moments away from boarding a flight to North Carolina. She entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2017 and applied for asylum within six months, receiving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 2023. Her case remains pending as she awaits court proceedings.
She spent eight days at an ICE office in Miramar before being transferred to the Broward Transition Center in Pompano Beach. Rodriguez Caglianone described the Miramar facility, which is not designed for long-term holding, as resembling "a zoo." She reported that detainees were forced to sleep on floors and shared rooms with dozens of other women without access to bathing facilities or clean clothes.
"All they did was give us food—sometimes expired food, sometimes we’d open it and find mold," Rodriguez Caglianone said in Spanish. Although officials claimed a waiver allowed for 72-hour holds instead of the usual 12 hours, she remained there for eight days.
Medical Neglect and Communication Barriers
The detainee also highlighted critical failures in medical care. She stated that detainees had to submit written requests for medical attention, often waiting at least 24 hours for responses. Rodriguez Caglianone shared accounts of women who suffered miscarriages due to inadequate resources and a woman battling breast cancer who could not receive chemotherapy treatments while detained.
"The stress, the agony, and the lack of medical resources," she said, noting that even basic hygiene was restricted until her transfer. Upon arriving at the Broward Transition Center, which Rep. Wasserman Schultz described as "well run" and cleaner than Miramar, Rodriguez Caglianone noted they could finally shower but still felt treated like criminals due to limited communication with family or lawyers.
Political Response and Ongoing Advocacy
Rodriguez Caglianone’s cousin, Gabriel Dominguez, described the detention as a severe blow to their family. Rep. Wasserman Schultz has been actively advocating for Rodriguez Caglianone’s release, making an unannounced visit to the Broward Transition Center last week.
"The recent termination of TPS for Haitians and Venezuelans is only making this worse," said Wasserman Schultz during Tuesday's press conference. "It’s why we need to call out and end this cruelty." The congresswoman argued that Rodriguez Caglianone’s account contradicts official statements from facility operators who claim detainees receive regular medical attention, including doctor visits and chemotherapy.
Representing Florida’s 25th Congressional District, Wasserman Schultz is running for the redrawn 20th district following legislative changes. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment regarding these specific allegations. Now free, Rodriguez Caglianone stated she wants to be a voice for those still detained.
