Two Ecuadorian women who were injured in a rollover crash in Central Florida were taken into immigration custody after being discharged from a hospital, with family members saying they were questioned about their legal status while receiving treatment. Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter, Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, were involved in a crash on August 20 at Marigold Avenue and Sheldrake Road in Poinciana, according to affidavits obtained from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Calero Cabanilla's cousin, Jonathan Bravo, 37, told Newsweek that she was driving to work with her daughter when another vehicle struck the passenger side of their car in a crash that he said they "almost died" in.
"It was a very severe accident," Bravo said. "The car was completely totaled." Bravo said the impact caused the vehicle to roll about four times. He said its wheels and trunk came off and its front end was severely damaged.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Newsweek that Calero Cabanilla entered the United States legally on March 8, 2023, but overstayed her authorized period of admission. The agency said Carriel Calero entered legally on February 8, 2025, but overstayed her period of admission. The women were transported by ambulance to HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital after the crash.
Bravo said Calero Cabanilla and her daughter were placed in separate rooms after arriving at the hospital. He said that a Polk County sheriff’s deputy began questioning Calero Cabanilla about her immigration status shortly after she arrived, while she was wearing a neck brace and had been given medication. "She was in bed with a neck brace, trying to receive the proper medical attention that she needs," Bravo said.
HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital told Newsweek in a statement its "focus and priority always is taking care of every patient that comes through our emergency room doors regardless of immigration status" and that its employees are dedicated to providing "compassionate care to every patient." "Like all hospitals, we are required to comply with laws and regulations that govern interactions with verified members of law enforcement when they enter our hospital," a spokesperson said. "At all times and no matter the situation, we do not deviate from our goal of providing the medical care our patients need and deserve." "As part of a crash investigation on Thursday, deputies went to the local hospital to speak with the occupants of one of the vehicles," a spokesperson for the Polk County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek. "As the deputies were obtaining information from those involved, it was discovered that the driver is in the United States illegally from Ecuador after overstaying an expired visa by several years." The sheriff's office said deputies subsequently determined that the driver's adult daughter, who was also involved in the crash, had overstayed a visa.
"ICE issued detainers for both women, and after the women were discharged from the hospital, they were taken into custody and transported to the Polk County Jail," the spokesperson added. ICE separately confirmed to Newsweek that detainers were lodged against both women following the crash. "ICE lodged detainers for Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla and Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, illegal aliens from Ecuador, after they were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office following a traffic accident," an agency spokesperson said.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
