POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More than a week after a mother and daughter were arrested on ICE detainers at a Florida hospital, their family is demanding answers.
Several organizations gathered for a press conference on Friday afternoon, criticizing a lack of transparency in the case. Most of their questions centered on protocol and whether it was followed during the viral arrest.
The Hope Community Center and Immigrants Are Welcome Here Coalition held the press conference outside HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital, where 19-year-old Giulianna Carriel and her mother, Grace Calero, were taken into custody on August 20th.
Channel 9 was the first local station to interview Grace after she made the decision to self-deport to Ecuador.
During the interview, Grace told Channel 9 she would have fought to stay in the U.S. if her daughter Giulianna hadn’t also been jailed.
According to the family, Giulianna has epilepsy and suffered a seizure while deputies were inside her hospital room. She was arrested while still wearing her hospital gown.
Grace knew fighting deportation could mean months inside a Florida jail, and she worried about her daughter’s long-term health. She told Channel 9 she “prayed on it” before signing the voluntary departure order to return to Ecuador.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said neither woman had a criminal history or state charges, but both were arrested on federal ICE detainers.
The Sheriff’s Office said they were involved in a two-car crash on August 20th. According to the Sheriff’s office, the investigation that followed revealed they had overstayed their visas and were in the country illegally.
But according to their attorney, both women had pending asylum claims, which they filed before their visas expired, allowing them to remain in the U.S.
“I received my work permit, I received social security, I received my driver license. I have all my process in the right way. I was waiting for my interview,” said Grace Calero.
More than a week since the crash and their viral arrest, immigrant rights groups voiced transparency concerns.
“We want to know who knew what, and when, and what protocol was followed,” said Ericka Gómez-Tejeda, the Organizing Director of the Hope CommUnity Center.
Grace’s sister Gia also attended the conference on Friday. She told Channel 9 she would continue fighting in the states on behalf of her sister and niece.
She filmed the viral videos and told Channel 9 she couldn’t get answers from law enforcement about who the arresting agency was and where her family was being taken.
“This is so exhausting, so frustrating that I needed to go from jail to jail asking ‘hey, is my sister here’,” said Gia.
According to Gia, Grace and Giulianna were moved to three different jails in a span of less than a week before they decided to self-deport.
Gia is now asking for answers from both the Sheriff’s office and the hospital about how this unfolded.
Channel 9 has repeatedly asked to speak with Sheriff Grady Judd about how the case was handled, why it was handled that way, and if it runs counter to how he said he would handle immigration enforcement.
A spokesperson for Sheriff’s Office said he was not interested in speaking but did send the following statement about the case:
“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. Deputies then discovered that the adult daughter of the driver who had also been involved in the crash, was also in the country illegally, also on a multi-year expired visa. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued detainers for both women, and after the women were discharged from the hospital, they were taken into custody and transported to the Polk County Jail.”
HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital also provided the statement below:
“Our focus and priority always is taking care of every patient who comes through our emergency room doors regardless of immigration status. Our employees have dedicated their lives to providing compassionate care to every patient. Like all hospitals, we are required to comply with laws and regulations that govern interactions with verified members of law enforcement when they enter our hospital. At all times and no matter what the situation, we do not deviate from our goal of providing the medical care our patients need and deserve.”
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