John Imsdahl

Writer/Reporter

Friends and family of Steven Rodas are seeking answers concerning his lengthy detention at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, Oklahoma.

Rodas was traveling with his partner, Alondra, on February 23, 2026, from Lakeville, Minn. to Texas. Along the way, their vehicle was pulled over in Vinita, Okla. by law enforcement for an alleged license plate light malfunction.

Despite the family’s claim that Rodas held a valid Employment Authorization Document, the arresting officer contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who asked him to hold Rodas until his legal status was determined.

What has followed has turned into a five-month ordeal for Rodas and his family, with very little communication from government officials about Rodas’ condition or status.

According to a timeline provided by Rodas’ family, Rodas was granted voluntary departure after signing departure paperwork on March 24, 2026. Although Rodas and his family maintain that he was here legally, they felt that due to the expense of legal representation, and concerns about his health, voluntarily departing would be the fastest way to get him back to safety.

After Rodas signed the voluntary departure paperwork, they assumed that he would be released and allowed to leave the country, but this was not the case. For the next three months, Rodas waited in custody for his case to be processed, with no answer from government officials on when that would occur.

On July 1, 2026, Rodas received documentation showing that his case had already been closed, yet he remained incarcerated.

Days later, Rodas’ family learned that he had been hospitalized, but not by government officials. Steven’s partner, Alondra, was contacted by the wife of another detainee, who informed her that Steven had been found unconscious in his housing unit, and that it took repeated requests from other detainees to guards to get him medical attention.

Alondra was unable to get any information about Steven’s condition for days, eventually fearing that he had died. It was not until July 7 that she was able to get confirmation that he was alive, but with no further information.

According to the family, officials at Cimarron were not forthcoming with any information about his location, condition, or treatment plans. It was not until last week that Alondra was able to conduct a short phone call with Steven, during which she said he appeared to be emaciated, having lost as much as 40 pounds since being arrested.

Friends and family of Steven Rodas are extremely concerned about his physical and mental health after his long ordeal and are hoping that the government will release Steven, or at least allow him to voluntarily depart as he has agreed to do.

Advocates who are familiar with Steven’s case say that this situation is not unique to Rodas, and that many other detainees find themselves languishing in detention for long periods of time, with little information on their status or when they will be released. One such advocate I spoke to raised concerns that Oklahoma’s relationships with private, for-profit prisons create a financial incentive for facilities to keep detainees held there as long as possible, as well as concerns that local law enforcement contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement may create financial incentives to make arrests he worries could, in some cases, be made on pre-textual grounds.

What the future holds for Steven Rodas remains to be seen.  In the meantime, advocates for Rodas are working tirelessly to secure his eventual release.