Hundreds of men detained at Florida’s state-run immigration site—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”—have simply vanished. Families are left desperate for answers, lawyers are scrambling for information, and federal and state agencies are pointing fingers instead of taking responsibility.

Between July and August, over 1,800 men were held in makeshift tents in the Everglades under conditions so harsh that some gave up their legal rights just to escape. As of late August, the Miami Herald reported that more than two-thirds of those detainees could not be located, and over 800 individuals had no record at all in ICE’s federal tracking database.

Some were accidentally deported—without hearings, bond decisions, or final removal orders. One man’s attorney arrived at court only to learn his client had already been sent back to Guatemala. Another man, Michael Borrego Fernandez, was missing for over a week before his family learned he’d been deported to Mexico, despite having an open legal case and serious medical needs.

This isn’t a clerical error. This is a humanitarian crisis—and it’s happening on U.S. soil.

We call on:

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Director Todd Lyons, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to immediately publish a full accounting of all individuals detained at Alligator Alcatraz, including their current locations and immigration status. We further demand a halt to all deportations and transfers of anyone held at the facility until due process is guaranteed and oversight is restored.

Detaining people in secrecy, shuffling them through a broken system, and deporting them without notice violates the most basic standards of justice. These are not just immigration cases—they are husbands, fathers, sons, and neighbors who deserve to be treated with dignity and tracked with transparency.

Sign to demand answers now.

Photo: Wilkine Brutus/WLRN