A University of Florida student detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near campus has returned to Colombia, following his arrest last month by Gainesville police for an expired vehicle registration, officials said.
Felipe Zapata-Velásquez, 27, was taken into custody on March 28 and later voluntarily deported, according to ICE.
Campus rally supports detained student
About 100 UF students rallied on campus Wednesday to protest Zapata-Velásquez’s detention and demand university intervention.
“Tense. A lot of international students are very scared,” said sophomore Stephen Sykes, a participant in the demonstration.
Body camera footage obtained by CBS News Miami shows Gainesville police pulling Zapata-Velásquez over on March 28 for an expired registration, last renewed in 2023.
“You have your driver’s license with you?” an officer asks.
Zapata-Velásquez provides a Colombian ID and confirms he’s an international student at UF. Officers then inform him his license is suspended and order him out of the car.
ICE officials said Zapata-Velásquez held an F-1 student visa, terminated last year.
In the video, he tells police he transferred from Santa Fe College to UF and was updating his information. He was handcuffed, taken into custody and transferred to the Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County.
His mother, Claudia Velásquez , expressed distress after his arrest. “We’re not sleeping. Eating is like torture because we don’t know if he’s eating. We don’t know where he is. There’s no communication,” she told CBS News Miami in Spanish.
Deportation and university response
More than a week later, ICE reported Zapata-Velásquez voluntarily deported. His mother told CBS News Miami she’s relieved he’s home, focusing now on his well-being. Some UF students, including Sykes, hope the university will act. “It’s our university’s responsibility to protect their students,” he said.
UF’s Director of Public Affairs, Cynthia Roldan, confirmed Zapata-Velásquez is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Food and Resource Economics at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as limiting further disclosure.
Felipe’s mom releases a statement
Felipe’s mother Claudia Velásquez provided an additional statement to CBS News Miami, saying that her son had returned to Colombia from Miami; however, his immigration and academic situation at UF remains unsolved.
“We trust he will receive the necessary support to complete his professional education,” she said.
Claudia Velásquez continued, saying in part that Felipe is in the process of “physical and emotional recovery” as they prioritize his health and wellbeing. She also said that they’re waiting responses from the relevant authorities through his attorney, who advised against further public statements.
“I sincerely thank those who have shown interest, solidarity and support regarding my son’s situation,” she said. “Once his circumstances are fully clarified, and if he deems it appropriate, Felipe will personally address any further requests or communications.”
