Overview

• Felipe Zapata Velásquez, a 27-year-old international student at the University of Florida, was arrested on March 28 for driving with an expired license and registration.
• He was transferred to the Krome Detention Center in Miami on April 1 and has not been able to communicate with his family since then.
• At the time of his arrest, Zapata Velásquez was in the process of renewing his F-1 student visa and completing administrative steps to obtain a valid driver’s license.
• ICE reportedly gave him two options: remain in detention while awaiting immigration court proceedings or sign a voluntary deportation order.
• Lawmakers, including Florida Representatives Maxwell Frost and Yvonne Hisson, have criticized the detention, calling it disproportionate and emblematic of aggressive immigration policies under the Trump administration.