Scott Thomas Deiseroth is a 42-year-old Miami resident and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee whose August 2025 arrest in the Florida Keys drew national attention after bodycam footage showed him asking a Black deputy “Are you Haitian?” during a DUI stop with his two young children in the vehicle. He later pleaded no contest to DUI, received probation, and was suspended from his federal job.
The case began on August 13, 2025, when a motorist called 911 to report a southbound pickup truck driving erratically on the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. Monroe County Sheriff’s Col. Chad Scibilia, in plain clothes, observed the truck straddling lanes and entering oncoming traffic before radioing for backup. Deputies stopped Deiseroth near Mile Marker 36.5 on Bahia Honda Key around 3:20 p.m.. Inside the truck were his sons, ages 7 and 9.
Deputies immediately detected an “overwhelming” odor of alcohol and noticed Deiseroth had glassy eyes and stumbled when exiting the vehicle. He told deputies he had driven from Miami to Islamorada and was returning home, but he misidentified his location as the 18-Mile Stretch, roughly 70 miles away. When asked what he had been drinking, Deiseroth identified himself as a federal HSI agent and said he had consumed four drinks, though he could not specify what they were.
The bodycam footage, released in October 2025, captured Deiseroth invoking his federal status while speaking to Scibilia. “Colonel don’t mean sh** to me. I’m federal. I’m trying to get home. I got my boys with me,” he said. He failed all roadside sobriety tests and repeatedly asked Deputy Markens Dorestant, “Are you Haitian?” When the deputy replied that race had nothing to do with the stop, Deiseroth insisted, “It does”. Extended footage later revealed he continued the questioning while being transported to jail, vowing to “run” the deputy’s immigration status once released.
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Breathalyzer tests at the Stock Island jail recorded blood-alcohol levels of .170 and .174, more than twice Florida’s legal limit of .08. The arrest report stated that due to his impairment, Deiseroth “almost crashed multiple times and was unable to care for even himself”. His children were released to their mother, and the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified.
Deiseroth was initially booked on one count of misdemeanor DUI and two counts of felony child neglect without serious bodily harm. On October 30, 2025, he pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and was sentenced to one year of probation and one year of driver’s license suspension. The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the child neglect and resisting arrest charges.
On January 8, 2026, Deiseroth’s attorney filed a motion to terminate his probation early, stating that he had completed alcohol treatment through the VA and attended 12-step meetings voluntarily. The motion noted that Deiseroth was “currently suspended from his job” and that ICE could not resolve its internal issues until the criminal case closed. Judge Derek Lewis had not ruled on the request as of January 13.
ICE’s Miami Field Office Director Garrett Ripa stated in August 2025 that the matter was under investigation and declined further comment, emphasizing that ICE employees are held to the highest standard of conduct. Deiseroth’s attorney, Michael Catalano, characterized the conduct as an isolated mistake: “He did something stupid. He owned up to it”. The case was cited in broader reporting on ICE employee misconduct, with an analysis documenting at least two dozen ICE employees and contractors accused of crimes since 2020.
The public interest in the Deiseroth case centers less on the DUI itself, a common misdemeanor, than on the conduct captured on bodycam. The contrast between his invocation of federal authority and his repeated questioning of a deputy’s nationality transformed a routine traffic stop into a viral incident. As of mid-January 2026, the early probation termination request and ICE’s internal investigation both remained unresolved.
What was Scott Thomas Deiseroth arrested for?
He was arrested on August 13, 2025, in the Florida Keys after deputies observed him driving recklessly on the Seven Mile Bridge with his two children, ages 7 and 9, in the vehicle. He was initially charged with misdemeanor DUI and two counts of felony child neglect .
What was the outcome of his criminal case?
On October 30, 2025, Deiseroth pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and was sentenced to one year of probation and a one-year driver’s license suspension. The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the child neglect and resisting arrest charges .
What did he say to the arresting deputy on bodycam?
During the stop, Deiseroth repeatedly asked Deputy Markens Dorestant, “Are you Haitian?” and insisted the deputy’s origin mattered. Extended footage showed he continued the questioning en route to jail and threatened to check the deputy’s immigration status after release .
What is his current employment status with ICE?
ICE confirmed Deiseroth’s employment and placed him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. In a January 2026 court filing, his attorney stated Deiseroth was “currently suspended from his job” and that ICE could not resolve its internal issues until the criminal case closed .
Is he still on probation?
As of mid-January 2026, Deiseroth had filed a motion to terminate his probation early after serving roughly two and a half months. Judge Derek Lewis had not ruled on the request as of January 13, 2026 .
