Venezuelan footballer Claudia Rodríguez released on bail after ICE detention

Claudia Carolina Rodríguez Caglianone, a 28‑year‑old former captain of St. Thomas University’s women’s soccer team, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Fort Lauderdale‑Hollywood International Airport in July 2026 while attempting to board a flight. She had entered the United States in 2017 on a tourist visa, later applied for asylum and received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela, which expired in November 2025. ICE detained her for more than two weeks in the Miramar and Pompano Beach detention centers, describing the operation as a targeted airport sweep. Rodríguez said she “felt like an animal in a zoo,” citing sleeping on the floor, expired food, and witnessing pregnant detainees lose their babies due to lack of medical care. After a hearing, a federal immigration judge granted her a $5,000 bail, and she was released on 4 August 2026. U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who visited the detention site, condemned the conditions and highlighted that hundreds of thousands of families in Florida with TPS are now at risk of deportation following the policy change. ICE reported detaining over 5,000 undocumented immigrants in Miami‑area facilities during July.