ICE Arrests Mother and Daughter at Hospital After They Survive Car Crash Despite No Criminal Records

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a mother and her 19-year-old daughter after they survived a serious car crash in central Florida. The arrest came after the pair were taken into immigration custody following treatment at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital on 20 August, despite no criminal records.

Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero were involved in a collision in Poinciana before their damaged vehicle was taken to hospital, where their immigration status came under scrutiny.

The crash happened as the women were travelling to work, according to their family. Jonathan Bravo, Calero Cabanilla's cousin, told Newsweek that another vehicle struck the passenger side of their car, causing it to overturn four times. Both women were taken by ambulance to the hospital.

ICE Arrests Follow Hospital Immigration Inquiry

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, deputies went to the hospital as part of their investigation into the crash. While gathering information from those involved, officers discovered that Calero Cabanilla had overstayed an expired visa by several years.

The sheriff's office said the same was established for her daughter and that ICE subsequently issued immigration detainers for both women. Once they were discharged from the hospital, they were taken into custody and transported to the Polk County Jail. Neither woman had a criminal history, according to arrest records cited by multiple outlets.

The family's account is different in important respects.

Relatives say Calero Cabanilla had a pending asylum case and a work permit, while Giulianna had a visa valid until 2030. Those claims have been widely reported but have not been independently verified through publicly available immigration records. A family fundraiser also says Calero Cabanilla was still wearing a cervical collar and receiving treatment after the collision when officers questioned her about her status.

The authorities say the women were subject to ICE detainers after deputies established they had overstayed their visas. The family maintains that their immigration circumstances were more complicated, particularly because of the mother's asylum application and the daughter's claimed valid visa.

ICE Video Fuels Questions Over Treatment

A video shared by the family shows the women crying and embracing in a hospital room as law enforcement officers attempt to separate them. Calero Cabanilla is then seen with her hands behind her back as officers escort her away.

A person filming the encounter can be heard asking, 'Where's the paper? Where's the arrest warrant?'

Further reporting also stated that family members have alleged that Giulianna suffered a seizure during the ordeal. That claim has circulated in fundraising material, but it has not been independently confirmed through hospital records.

The case follows the Trump administration's effort to move away from previous federal guidance that restricted immigration arrests in places such as hospitals, schools and churches, giving agents greater discretion over where enforcement can take place.

That policy shift has made hospital arrests a particularly sensitive issue. Critics argue that immigration enforcement in medical settings could discourage undocumented people from seeking urgent care. Supporters of enforcement maintain that immigration violations can still be acted upon regardless of where a person is encountered.

As of 26 August, neither ICE nor the Polk County Sheriff's Office had publicly provided a fuller explanation addressing the family's claims about the women's immigration cases.