Florida House Democrats Condemn DCF for Shackling Foster Child

TALLAHASSEE — Twenty members of the Florida House of Representatives — all Democrats — have signed a letter demanding answers from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) after a foster child was allegedly turned over to ICE in handcuffs and shackles. The letter points out that such a transfer, if it happened, would have violated the Florida administrative code.

The letter, sent June 13 to DCF Secretary Taylor Hatch, responds to reporting in the Miami Herald that a child named Henry was removed from his foster home in handcuffs and shackles and transferred into ICE custody. The lawmakers say the action violated a longstanding state regulation barring DCF from facilitating immigration enforcement against children in its care. The child is believed to be a victim of labor trafficking.

“What happened was unnecessary and unacceptable,” the lawmakers wrote, questioning who authorized the action, what legal authority was used, and whether there are other similar incidents.

House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, who led the effort, called the situation shocking. “Henry, a child in our foster care system, was turned over to ICE in handcuffs and shackles by Florida’s Department of Children and Families,” she said. “It is morally reprehensible to try to meet deportation quotas by targeting vulnerable kids under Florida’s protection.”

The letter cites Florida Administrative Code Rule 65C-9.003, which prohibits DCF staff from making immigration status checks or initiating contact with federal immigration authorities unless child abuse allegations are substantiated.

Among the letter’s signatories are Representatives Fentrice Driskell, Dianne Hart, Lindsay Cross, and Anna Eskamani. The lawmakers are demanding a full accounting from DCF and an explanation of any policy changes that may have enabled the incident.

As of Sunday, DCF had not publicly responded to the letter.