Venezuelan woman with master's degree detained by ICE, released after congresswoman's intervention
Aug 3, 2026·Location: Pompano Beach, FL
Country of origin: Venezuela

Claudia Rodríguez, a 29-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who earned her master's degree in business administration from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, was detained by ICE at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in July while attempting to board a flight to North Carolina. Rodríguez arrived in the U.S. legally in 2017 on a tourist visa, applied for asylum within six months, and was granted Temporary Protected Status in 2023 while her asylum case remains pending. She was transferred between two South Florida detention facilities, spending eight days at the ICE office in Miramar in severely overcrowded conditions—sleeping on floors in a cell with 75 people, unable to shower or change clothes, and losing 15 pounds. Her cousin Gabriel Domínguez described her as an exemplary athlete with no criminal record. U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz visited the Miramar facility to advocate for her release, calling the detention "unacceptable." Rodríguez was released on Monday evening.
Timeline
Sources
- Released Venezuelan woman details poor conditions at Broward ICE facility:
- Venezuelan soccer player released from Pompano facility after being detained by ICE
nbcmiami.com·Aug 3, 2026·archived copy
- Miami Herald
- Ex-ICE detainee says elderly, pregnant women, and breast cancer patient were mistreated in Broward
local10.com·Aug 4, 2026·archived copy
- Family, friends, congresswoman call for release of St. Thomas soccer captain from ICE custody
WLRN·Jul 30, 2026·archived copy
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