SamirTech&CREATION

, a immigrant with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was arrested on May 30 in , Florida, following a DUI stop after attending a family member’s graduation party. Since his detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), his family, including his partner Kléya Rice, has been unable to locate him, leaving them in distress and uncertainty.

According to Rice, Dieujuste was initially held in an undisclosed Miami detention facility, where he reported being chained with other non-English-speaking, nonwhite men and transported, possibly on a Southwest Airlines flight, to another facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 8. His immigration attorney has struggled to arrange visits, as Dieujuste was relocated again before appointments could be confirmed.

Rice, a registered nurse and mother of their two young children—a 10-month-old son and a 23-month-old daughter described Dieujuste’s health deteriorating, noting persistent nosebleeds and lack of medical attention, a complaint echoed by other detainees. She reported that he mentioned being served poor-quality food, such as stale bread, and expressed concerns about air quality in the detention facilities, where detainees were given masks. Other Spanish-speaking detainees told Dieujuste they had experienced nosebleeds for weeks, suggesting systemic issues in the conditions of ICE custody.

The family’s attempts to track Dieujuste using ICE’s online locator system have been unsuccessful, as the system requires an alien registration number not publicly available, exacerbating their fears. Both of Dieujuste’s parents are also facing deportation proceedings, adding further strain to the family. Rice, overwhelmed by juggling her career and motherhood, has become Dieujuste’s sole advocate, answering calls from unknown numbers in hopes of hearing from him, though the usual recording identifying a caller’s location has not played in recent calls.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a key group supporting immigrants like Dieujuste, stressed that ICE’s lack of transparency is leading to family separations and harsher treatment of nonwhite immigrants.