Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) conducted an unannounced oversight inspection of a Broward County immigrant detention facility in response to the arrest of a legally authorized constituent in early July 2026.
The Broward County Representative recently visited the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach to inspect the facility's conditions after reports of inhumane conditions at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Sub Office in Miramar, Fla.
According to Rep. Schultz, she was “pleasantly surprised” that the Pompano Beach facility was clean and spacious, and that it had access to a recreational area and a library.
These Individuals "Shouldn't Be Here"
Despite the surprisingly humane conditions of the detention center, Congresswoman Schultz affirmed that nobody in the facility should be detained.
“These are not criminals. These are not the worst of the worst,” the Weston Democrat asserted.
The Congresswoman argued that many of these individuals had lawful status, had applied for asylum, or had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and were in the process of obtaining legal status.
“I am very concerned that there are 671 people in this facility that shouldn’t be here,” Rep. Schultz stated, calling out the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Claudia Caglianone's Arrest
Of the 671 individuals held in the Pompano Beach facility, one person with legal status detained by ICE is Claudia Carolina Rodriguez Caglianone.
Caglianone was arrested at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport by ICE agents in July.
She had moved from Venezuela in 2017 on a tourist visa and applied for legal asylum within her first six months in the U.S.
In 2023, Caglianone was granted TPS while her asylum case remained pending.
Following the arrest, Caglianone was held at the Miramar facility for over a week, beyond the legally authorized 72 hours. In that time, Claudia reportedly “had no access to a shower or change of clothes.”
ICE Is "Wasting Taxpayer Dollars"
“Stories like Claudia’s and so many others must lead to action. Because the end of TPS means more and more of our neighbors will be targeted by ICE,” Rep. Schultz argued. “Right now, ICE agents are overrunning airports to catch law-abiding residents like Claudia, upending lives, wasting taxpayer dollars, and betraying America’s values.”
