FPL, ICE target overdue bills in South Florida summer

Homestead, Fla. — The power went out at 11 p.m. on a July night when the heat index still topped 95°F. Mirella Estrada, 51, woke up gasping in the dark, her husband beside her. “I knew it was coming,” she said. “We owed Florida Power & Light $2,300.” Three days later, an ICE van idled outside their rented trailer home as agents questioned Estrada about overdue bills—part of a widening crackdown on unpaid utility debts that now includes home visits and threats of service termination during peak summer.

The timing is no accident. Florida’s summer heat has turned July and August into the state’s deadliest months, with heat-related ER visits jumping 40% since 2010. At the same time, FPL and other utilities have ramped up collections after a two-year moratorium on shutoffs expired in May. The company says it’s targeting only the most delinquent accounts—those owing more than $1,000 for six months—but advocates say the policy is pushing low-income households deeper into debt. Internal emails obtained by Inside Climate News show FPL’s regional managers were told to “prioritize accounts in high-risk neighborhoods,” including Homestead, a majority-Latino city where nearly half of households earn less than $35,000 a year.

Estrada’s case shows how the debt spirals start. After her hours were cut last winter, she fell behind by $800. FPL’s automated payment plan raised her monthly bill by $50, pushing the total past $2,000. When she missed a payment, a collector called twice a day. Then came the knock at 7 a.m.—not a bill, but an ICE agent asking about “unpaid services.” Estrada’s attorney says the utility shared her address without consent. FPL declined to comment on specific cases but said it does not provide customer information to immigration authorities. Still, Miami-Dade’s public defender reports a 25% rise in utility-related deportation threats since June.

What happens next is uncertain. Florida’s utility commission is reviewing complaints about aggressive collections, but no hearing date is set. Meanwhile, Estrada’s power stayed off for 48 hours until a neighbor lent her a generator. She now sleeps with the windows open, praying the next heat wave doesn’t knock out the circuit again. For the hundreds of South Florida households facing similar bills, the choice is stark: pay the electric company, pay the rent, or pay for the next doctor visit—all while the temperature keeps rising.