A Fort Lauderdale husband says a routine drive near his neighborhood turned into a nightmare when federal immigration agents detained his wife, and he captured the moment in a recorded phone call. According to the audio and the couple's account, agents stopped her near St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, told her they were "in the area running plates" and then took her into custody.
As reported by NBC 6 South Florida, the husband, Noah Lazega, recorded the call and identified his wife as 24-year-old Nicolth Hernandez‑Lucero. Lazega told the station that Hernandez‑Lucero, a surgical technician who he says has lived in the United States since she was 15 and is originally from Colombia, was stopped in Fort Lauderdale and later taken to a detention facility in Pompano Beach. The couple married in December, Lazega said.
Her attorney, Justin Gould, told NBC 6 South Florida that Hernandez‑Lucero entered the United States legally and filed an asylum case as a dependent through her parents, and that he has filed for a bond hearing on her behalf. NBC 6 reported that the outlet contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment and did not receive an immediate response.
Hernandez‑Lucero is being held at a detention facility in Pompano Beach, according to her family and local reporting. The Broward Transitional Center, a long-used ICE detention site in the area, is located at 3900 North Powerline Road in Pompano Beach, as detailed by Detention Reports.
A Growing Pattern of Enforcement
Attorneys and advocates say what happened in Fort Lauderdale tracks with a series of recent enforcement actions in which people with pending immigration claims or no criminal records have been picked up by federal agents during routine checks or appointments. A case involving a Central Florida couple who were detained and later reunited after a judge's order shows a similar pattern, according to ClickOrlando, and national outlets have reported comparable detentions elsewhere in the country, including a Newsweek account of a veteran's wife detained after an adjustment interview.
What the Family Says and Next Steps
Lazega told reporters he decided to share the recording to raise awareness about his wife's detention and to increase pressure for her release. Family members are working with their attorney to try to secure a bond. Gould has filed a motion requesting a bond hearing for Hernandez‑Lucero, and the family says they intend to pursue all available legal avenues while her immigration case moves forward.
Legal Context
Bond hearings give immigration detainees an opportunity to ask an immigration judge to release them while removal proceedings continue. Access to those hearings and the likelihood of success can vary depending on how a case is classified and on recent court rulings. Civil rights groups and immigration experts note that bond practices and mandatory detention rules have been the subject of ongoing litigation and shifting policies, complicating the outlook for people in circumstances like Hernandez‑Lucero's, as explained by the American Immigration Council.
The husband's recording and the attorney's bond motion have already drawn local attention to the case. The outcome of the bond hearing will determine whether Hernandez‑Lucero can be released while her immigration proceedings continue. This story will be updated as new court filings or official statements become available.
