A Venezuelan woman released Monday from an immigration detention in Broward County said she spent nearly three weeks in custody under conditions she described as inhumane despite having a pending asylum case.
Claudia Rodríguez was released from the Broward Transitional Center and reunited with family members who embraced her as she walked out of the facility.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Rodríguez became emotional recounting her detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“They do not treat you with humanity,” Rodríguez said in Spanish.
According to Rodríguez and her family, ICE agents detained her last month at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after determining that her Temporary Protected Status (TPS) had expired.
However, Rodríguez said she has a pending asylum claim. Immigration attorneys agree that a pending asylum application should protect a person from deportation while the case remains active.
Rodríguez described difficult conditions inside the detention facility.
“The center in Miramar, like I say, I felt like I was an animal in a zoo,” Rodríguez said. “They did not clean the toilet. Every time we asked for water, they said, ‘Go drink water from the sink.’”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, who has criticized conditions at immigration detention facilities, said overcrowding was a concern.
“We are not talking about everybody had plenty of room on the floor,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Only some people could be on the floor. Everybody else had to stand.”
Rodríguez’s family and Wasserman Schultz told NBC6 that Rodríguez has no criminal history.
She arrived in the United States in 2017 and built a life in South Florida, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Rodríguez also played soccer at St. Thomas University, where she became a standout athlete.
Despite her experience in detention, Rodríguez said she plans to continue pursuing her immigration case.
“I am not scared because I know I have not done anything wrong,” she said. “And I know I have the right to fight for my rights.”
In a statement provided to NBC6, ICE defended the Trump administration’s immigration policies, saying:
“TPS was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program; however, that is how previous administrations used it for decades. The Trump administration is restoring the integrity of our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe.”
NBC6 also requested a more specific response from ICE regarding Rodríguez’s individual case, and received the following statement:
“On July 17, 2026, ICE arrested Claudia Carolina Rodriguez Coglianone, an illegal alien from Venezuela, during a targeted operation at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. She entered the United States on January 25, 2017, on a visa that would allow her to stay in the country until July 24, 2017. In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa. Work authorization or a pending application does NOT confer legal status in the United States.
An immigration judge granted her bond Aug. 3, and she was subsequently released from ICE custody.”
As to the allegations of 2 women have miscarriages:
“Allegations of 2 miscarriages are totally false.”
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by dieticians. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.
“For chronic illness, detainees are referred to specialty care providers based on their individual needs and diagnoses. Detainees are referred for routine follow-up with specialty care providers based on provider recommendations for specific diagnoses and individual needs.”