Louisiana Nursing Graduate Vilma Palacios Detained by ICE for Six Months Amid Asylum Case
Vilma Palacios, 22, a nursing graduate from Louisiana State University, has been held for six months at an ICE processing center in Basile, Louisiana. She was arrested on June 26, 2025, by ICE while attempting to obtain a routine vehicle inspection sticker. An unmarked vehicle approached her, and she was informed of her arrest; her case had not been previously disclosed to her.
Palacios has been denied bond and faces potential forced voluntary return to Honduras, where she left with her parents at age six. She filed an asylum application as a child and has no criminal convictions. Prior to her arrest, Palacios held a work permit and had requested renewal. She had just accepted a nursing position at Touro Infirmary.
During her detention, Palacios is kept in a shared dormitory with limited access to personal belongings and has reported difficulties obtaining basic hygiene items, including menstrual products, which are sometimes provided up to a week late. Following her detention, she attempted to contact a former nursing school classmate and her lawyer; her phone was confiscated shortly after arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Palacios admitted to being in the United States illegally and assured she will receive full due process. The agency noted that work authorization does not confer legal status. DHS also disputed claims regarding detention conditions, asserting the facility provides what it describes as the best healthcare many detainees have received.
Family members and immigration advocates have protested calling for Palacios's release, pointing to her community involvement and the need for nursing professionals, especially amid broader immigration crackdowns targeting individuals with no criminal records seeking residency.
