Claudia Caglionone is out of ICE detention after weeks in South Florida custody, ending a public campaign by relatives and friends who pressed officials to review her case. The 28-year-old Venezuelan woman was released Monday from the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, but her pending asylum case remains unresolved.
According to WPLG Local 10, Caglionone was detained in early July at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after arriving in the United States on a tourist visa in 2017 and later applying for asylum. She also earned a master’s degree in business administration from St. Thomas University.
Release Followed Congressional Visit And Family Pressure
Caglionone’s release came after protests by family and friends and a congressional visit to the facility. In a statement from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office, the South Florida Democrat said Caglionone had spent eight days at the Miramar ICE field office before being moved to Pompano Beach.
The congresswoman’s office said Caglionone described sleeping arrangements on the floor, limited light, and having no shower or change of clothes during her time in Miramar. Those accounts were relayed through Wasserman Schultz’s office and were not independently detailed in the public release.
Local 10 reported that Caglionone said she was leaving her heart with women she believed were being unjustly held inside. Her cousin, Ruth Lares Caglionone, said the family wanted to bring her home so she could recover and thanked supporters for keeping attention on the case.
Release Does Not Resolve Her Asylum Case
Caglionone received Temporary Protected Status in 2023, but that protection was no longer in effect by the time of her detention, according to the public accounts. The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review explains that asylum applications in removal proceedings are handled through immigration court, meaning her release does not by itself decide the merits of her asylum claim.
The public reports did not identify whether Caglionone was released on bond, parole, or another form of immigration supervision, nor did they provide a date for her next hearing. EOIR policy says the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for detention and for notifying the immigration court when someone is released.
Pompano Facility Draws Broader Scrutiny
An ICE compliance audit identifies the Broward Transitional Center as a contract detention facility in Pompano Beach. Wasserman Schultz’s office said her visit also led to the announcement of two proposed measures, the No PREJUDICE Act and the Build Homes, Not Hate Act, while Caglionone’s cousin Gabriel Dominguez said her story showed why labels should not replace humanity.
