Nursing Graduate Held in Immigration Detention
A young woman who recently completed her studies at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has spent the past half-year confined at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Basile, Louisiana. Her detention began in the summer when immigration officials took her into custody.
Vilma Palacios had secured employment at Touro Infirmary shortly before her apprehension by ICE agents, who subsequently moved her to the Basile processing center. This situation unfolds against the backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement measures implemented during the previous administration, affecting numerous individuals without criminal histories who are pursuing lawful residency.
"The only thing now that I want is my freedom back," Palacios stated to Nola.com. "I don't want to be enclosed in a space where everything is controlled. I have no power to do anything. I feel hopeless all the time. And nothing is moving to help me."
The 22-year-old explained that she was refused bond release and faces potential voluntary departure to Honduras, the nation she departed with her family at age six, as she awaits a ruling on her immigration proceedings.
Arrest Details and Detention Conditions
According to Palacios, immigration officers detained her on June 26 while she was trying to acquire a standard vehicle inspection sticker. An unmarked car stopped behind her, and agents approached to inform her she was under arrest. Palacios mentioned she was unaware her immigration case had been reactivated.
She immediately sent two text messages to a former nursing school colleague, indicating she had been taken into custody and was consulting with her attorney. Her phone was confiscated soon after.
During her months at the ICE facility, Palacios described experiencing emotional fatigue. She noted she lacks access to personal items and resides in a communal dormitory with other detainees. She also reported challenges obtaining basic hygiene supplies such as shampoo and menstrual products. On certain occasions, menstrual pads took nearly a week to be provided after she requested them from staff.
"On June 26, 2025, DHS law enforcement arrested Vilma Nicol Palacios-Fuentes, an illegal alien from Honduras," Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said in a statement to Nola. "She freely admitted to being in the US illegally. She will receive full due process. To be clear, work authorization does not confer legal status."
In another statement to Nola, DHS contested descriptions of conditions at the detention center. "This is the best healthcare that many aliens have received in their entire lives," the statement said.
Palacios clarified she sought asylum as a child. She had previously obtained a work permit and had applied for renewal when arrested in June. She has no criminal record.
Relatives and immigration activists have organized demonstrations urging Palacios' release, highlighting her community engagement and dedication to nursing during a period of nationwide healthcare staffing shortages.
