SWFL.io - Local NewsReporter: Damien Alvarado
•8/29/2026
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) - Recent immigration enforcement activity in Lee County is leaving some families scrambling to figure out what comes next when a parent or primary breadwinner is detained.
Local organizations say they are seeing families suddenly face questions about rent, food, transportation, childcare and who will be available for children after school.
Dr. Sigfredo Hernandez, co-founder of Voices of Bonita, said his organization has seen an increase in families asking for help.
“Families in general, all our immigrant neighbors are scared to death,” Hernandez said.
Voices of Bonita says about 15 families contacted the organization for help this week alone. Hernandez said the group has provided more than 60 emergency grants this year, mostly to families in Bonita Springs, but also to some in Fort Myers.
Each grant is generally about $400.
The organization also runs what it calls an “ICE Widow Family Adoption Program,” which pairs some of the families facing the greatest financial need with volunteers.
Hernandez said those volunteers can provide at least $100 a month, along with food and other basic necessities.
“A low-income family suddenly doesn’t have any income at all,” Hernandez said. “So how is the mother going to pay the rent? How is the mother going to put food on the table? It’s almost impossible.”
Hernandez said many of the families seeking help relied on the person who was detained as their primary source of income.
He said the financial impact can be immediate, particularly in households where one parent stays home to care for young children.
Voices of Bonita says its assistance is funded through community donations and volunteers.
The group is not the only organization working with families during the recent enforcement activity.
June, a legal observer with the Florida Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment, or RAISE, has been documenting immigration enforcement scenes in Lee County.
RAISE is a statewide network of advocates, volunteers, community partners, civil rights attorneys and immigration law experts that provides resources and support to immigrant communities across Florida.
June said legal observers respond to reports of immigration enforcement, document what happens and try to connect with families after someone is detained.
“We try, if we can, to locate the family of the detainee,” June said. “That’s not always possible.”
She said observers may also help determine what happens to a vehicle left behind or how to reach relatives.
RAISE also works with families before a detention happens.
June said the organization helps people create family preparedness plans that can include arrangements for children, vehicles and other responsibilities.
“We do a lot of community education with vulnerable people about their rights and assist them in preparing family preparedness packages, just in case they are detained,” June said.
The concerns extend to local schools, particularly when a parent or guardian is unexpectedly unavailable.
The School District of Lee County said students remain the district’s responsibility from the time they board a school bus or arrive on school property until they are dropped off or leave school.
If no one arrives to pick up a student, district officials said school staff first call the emergency contacts listed for that child. If no one can be reached, the school resource officer can arrange for law enforcement to check the child’s home. If the home is empty, district officials said social workers and the Florida Department of Children and Families may become involved.
The district said it does not have visibility into what happens after students who ride the bus or walk home arrive at their residence. Lee County Schools also said it regularly reminds parents and guardians to keep emergency contact information updated in FOCUS.
Collier County Public Schools said it has a similar procedure. If a student is not picked up as expected, school staff remain with the student in a safe and supervised location while trying to reach a parent or guardian. If direct contact cannot be made, staff contact the emergency contacts and people authorized to pick up the student. If no responsible adult can be reached after those contacts are exhausted, the district said local law enforcement or child welfare authorities may be contacted to help ensure the student’s safety.
Collier County Schools is also encouraging families to keep emergency contact information and authorized pickup lists current. The district said it cannot determine whether a parent, guardian or other caregiver is home when a student rides the bus or walks home.
A district spokesperson said there did not appear to be any significant changes in attendance patterns but was checking with the district’s attendance department to confirm.
WINK News also asked the Department of Homeland Security for more information about the people arrested in Lee County this week, including how many had prior criminal convictions and how many did not. DHS did not provide that breakdown.
Instead, the agency said ICE agents enforce federal immigration law across the country “seven days a week, 24 hours a day” and pointed to several examples of people arrested in Florida who had prior criminal convictions.
Those examples included individuals with convictions in Fort Myers for grand theft, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and lewd or lascivious conduct.
DHS did not provide specific information about how many of those examples were connected to this week’s Lee County enforcement activity.
WINK News also asked whether there was a specific operation underway in Southwest Florida this week and what role local law enforcement agencies played.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office referred questions about the enforcement activity to the Florida Highway Patrol. The sheriff’s office did confirm that deputies involved in immigration enforcement are being paid through federal funding rather than local taxpayer money.
For organizations such as Voices of Bonita and RAISE, the focus now is on helping families plan for what happens after a detention. Hernandez said the organization hopes the support can help families get through the immediate financial strain while keeping children’s needs at the center of the response.