Lawmakers react to the detention of a University of Florida student by ICE

Felipe Zapata Velásquez, a student at the University of Florida, was detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a traffic violation in Gainesville. The young man, who is Colombian and holds an F-1 visa, was taken without access to legal assistance to the Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County.

Zapata, a third-year Economics student at the Faculty of Agricultural and Life Sciences, was detained on March 29 for driving with an expired license. His mother, Claudia Velásquez, explained in statements to Univision 23 that her son was processing the I-20 form to renew his license and had already paid the corresponding fines. She recounted that after resolving the issue at the police station, ICE agents intercepted him and informed him that, due to that infraction on his record, they had to take him into custody. He was subsequently transferred to Jacksonville and then to the detention center in Miami-Dade, where, according to his mother, he was pressured to sign a self-deportation agreement without the presence of a lawyer.

From Colombia, Velásquez expressed his anguish, noting that the family does not sleep, that “eating is a torture” because they do not know if he is eating, and that “not knowing where he is and lacking communication is extremely difficult.” He added that Felipe has been living in the United States for almost six years and only had one year left to complete his studies. He initially enrolled at Santa Fe College and later received a scholarship to continue at the University of Florida. His intention, he said, was to finish his degree and return to Colombia to start his professional life.

The state legislator Yvonne Hinson, a Democrat from Florida, questioned Zapata's detention, arguing that a simple traffic violation does not justify such a severe measure. In statements reported by Local10 News, she stated that “immigrants are under attack now more than ever.”

This criticism was echoed by federal congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who described Zapata as “the latest kidnapping victim of the Trump administration” and reported that his family has not heard from him since April 1.

In recent hours, state senator Shevrin Jones also spoke out, questioning what message the country is sending to students who are complying with the law and trying to do the right thing. According to Local10 News, the legislator urged authorities to reconsider such procedures and advocated for bipartisan immigration reform that prevents the criminalization of individuals in legal status.

Local media that have been following the case reported that Zapata did not appear in the public ICE database, which has raised even more concern among his family and those following the case. When asked by Univision, immigration attorney Natalia Gaviria explained that Felipe was not out of status at the time of his arrest. "In F1 cases, which is the student visa, as long as the person is studying, even if their visa stamp is expired, as long as they are studying, they are in status, so he was not out of status," she said.

Other recent cases reinforce the criticisms against ICE

The case of Felipe is not the only one that has raised questions in recent days. Víctor Manuel Izquierdo, a young Cuban resident in Florida, was arrested on his birthday after attending a migration appointment, despite having a marriage residency application in progress and no criminal record.

Another case that sparked outrage was that of José Francisco García Rodríguez, a 73-year-old Cuban detained in Louisiana after living in the United States for over 45 years. His family reported that, despite having tried to regularize his status for years, ICE arrested him without warning as he was heading to work.

The case of José Gregorio González also came to light, a Venezuelan who was accompanying his brother to a dialysis appointment when he was detained by ICE. He was in the United States intending to donate a kidney. He was held in custody for almost a month before being released for humanitarian reasons.

In California, a 22-year-old Hispanic woman was intercepted by armed ICE agents in front of her home after dropping her sister off at school. Although she is a legal resident and was released, the incident triggered a panic attack and affected her emotional and work stability, according to her testimony.

And in Boston, a judge found an ICE agent in contempt for arresting a Dominican migrant during a court hearing. The magistrate described the act as an affront to justice and ordered a review of the behavior of the involved prosecutors.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Detention of Felipe Zapata by ICE