HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Autistic DACA recipient detained by ICE at Florida home, charged with resisting arrest

Apr 8, 2026 · Hendry County, FL, Mexico

Autistic DACA recipient detained by ICE at Florida home, charged with resisting arrest

Gilberto Garcia, a 26-year-old DACA recipient with autism and intellectual disability, was forcibly detained by ICE agents at his home in Hendry County, Florida on April 8, 2026, while awaiting DACA renewal processing after his status expired on April 1. According to family accounts and police reports, ICE agents entered his yard without a warrant and placed him in a chokehold. When his mother attempted to intervene, agents allegedly threatened to tase her and pushed her back. Garcia was transported to Hendry County Jail and charged with resisting arrest without violence. His public defender argued that his disability prevented him from understanding or identifying law enforcement. Garcia was released on April 10, 2026, after advocates raised concerns about the arrest's legality and lack of probable cause. The Florida Immigrant Coalition and United We Dream called the detention "deeply troubling and potentially unlawful."

Timeline

Apr 10, 2026Garcia is released from custody after advocates raise concerns about the legality of the detention and lack of probable cause
Apr 8, 2026ICE agents detain Garcia at his home in Hendry County, Florida without a warrant and place him in a chokehold; his mother is threatened with a taser when she intervenes. Garcia is transported to Hendry County Jail and charged with resisting arrest without violence
Apr 1, 2026Gilberto Garcia's DACA status expires while renewal is pending

Sources

More incidents in Florida