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“No One Should Disappear in America”: The Crisis of Immigrant Detention Camps

Written by Debbie Deland / vp@flnow.org

October 2025 — Florida

In the heart of the Everglades, a sprawling tent city known as Alligator Alcatraz has become a symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Over 1,000 detainees have “administratively disappeared”—their families and attorneys unable to locate them through any federal system. This is not a bureaucratic error. It’s a deliberate erosion of human rights.

A joint report from Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South documents abuses at three Florida detention centers: Krome North, Broward Transitional, and the Federal Detention Center in Miami. The findings are harrowing:

Key Findings

  • Overcrowding: Krome’s population tripled in early 2025, exceeding its operational capacity by nearly 300%
  • Disappearances: 800+ detainees at Alligator Alcatraz were untraceable in ICE’s locator system; 450 had no listed location
  • Medical Neglect: At least two deaths linked to denial of insulin, asthma inhalers, and emergency care
  • Torture & Degradation:
    • Detainees forced to sleep on concrete floors without bedding
    • Verbal abuse and threats from guards
    • Lack of showers, hygiene products, or clean water
  • Legal Isolation: Attorneys report being unable to contact clients; ICE offers no clear channels for access
  • Environmental Hazards: Alligator Alcatraz briefly shut down by a federal judge for violating environmental protections, then reopened by appeals court

Systemic Drivers

  • Project 2025 calls for mass detention and deportation, including indefinite suspension of immigration law during “migration emergencies”
  • Florida’s SB 1718 mandates local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, expanding detention pipelines
  • FEMA funds are being diverted to support state-run camps like Alligator Alcatraz, originally meant for humanitarian shelter

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Florida Redistricting

Written by Debbie Deland / vp@flnow.org

Florida is diving into a politically charged and unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort ahead of the 2026 elections.

Why Is Florida Redistricting Now?

  • Redistricting usually happens once a decade after the U.S. Census. Florida last redrew its congressional map in 2022.
  • Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez are pushing for a new round of redistricting—just three years later.
  • The move follows President Trump’s call for Republican-led states to redraw maps to secure more GOP seats in Congress.

Who’s Involved?

  • The Florida House has formed a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, chaired by Rep. Mike Redondo.
  • The Florida Senate, however, has not yet taken steps toward redistricting.
  • DeSantis and Perez are aligned on this issue, despite their brewing rivalry over future statewide races.

What’s at Stake?

  • Florida currently has 20 Republican and 8 Democratic congressional seats.
  • Analysts say the state is already heavily gerrymandered, making it difficult to carve out more GOP-leaning districts.
  • A new map could shift district boundaries, forcing candidates to campaign in unfamiliar areas and potentially displacing incumbents.

Public Reaction

  • A recent poll shows 55% of Florida voters oppose mid-decade redistricting—including a plurality of Republicans.
  • 76% of voters prefer an independent commission to draw maps, rather than the Legislature.
  • Critics, including Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, call the move a “backroom power grab”.

What’s Next?

  • The House committee is expected to begin meetings this fall.
  • Legal challenges are likely, especially from advocacy groups concerned about racial and partisan gerrymandering.
  • The new map could be in place for the 2026 midterm elections, reshaping Florida’s political landscape.

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FL NOW Donates to Florida Food Bank to Support Families Impacted by Shutdown

Orlando, FL — The Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women (FL NOW) announced a donation to the statewide Florida Food Bank, Second Harvest. Although an activist organization, FL NOW reinforced its commitment to supporting families and communities across the state during a time of heightened need.

The recent government shutdown, although over, has left thousands of Floridians struggling, with federal employees working without pay and SNAP recipients turning to food banks for assistance. FL NOW’s donation is part of broader coalitions’ efforts to ensure that women, children, veterans, and vulnerable communities are not left behind.

“This donation is more than charity—it is solidarity,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW. “When government fails to meet the needs of its people, community organizations must step forward. We are proud to support this Florida Food Bank’s critical work in feeding families and sustaining hope.”

Florida Food Banks have reported a surge in demand for services, with food insecurity rising sharply during the shutdown and continuing now. Funding for food banks had already been severely cut the Trump regime prior to the shutdown.

This action underscores FL NOW’s mission to address systemic inequities and mobilize for justice. By supporting this statewide FL Food Bank, FL NOW is not only adding a little to meeting immediate needs but also amplifying the call for long-term solutions to poverty, healthcare access, and economic justice.

For Immediate Release: November 17, 2025

 President Julie Kent, Florida NOW, president@flnow.org

 Taxpayer-funded Florida Pregnancy Care Network puts pregnant Floridians in medical danger

Floridians for Reproductive Freedom (FRF) Medical Alert Release

New exposé reveals life-threatening protocols 

TALLAHASSEE – Networks funding and overseeing anti-abortion centers, sometimes called “crisis pregnancy centers,” are advising their locations to “not diagnose or offer follow up care to patients they suspect to have an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy complication,” new reporting reveals. Advocates have long warned about the unethical practices of these centers, namely the Florida Pregnancy Care Network, which receives $29.5 million of state taxpayer money each year to operate around 93 locations. These centers are non-medical, unregulated health clinics. They far outnumber regulated reproductive health clinics.
A memo released by Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch details findings that assert the centers “appear to prioritize potential legal risk, discouraging diagnosis or follow-up care to minimize their legal exposure, even in potentially life-threatening cases.”

Staci Tanouye, MD, FACOG described the use of taxpayer money on these centers as “highly concerning,” going on to affirm, “Patients seeking pregnancy confirmation deserve compassionate, honest, and evidence-based counseling from a trained health care professional regardless of their ultimate decision to continue the pregnancy, explore adoption, or end the pregnancy.”

Anti-abortion centers use deceptive tactics to lure people in who are seeking pregnancy tests, STD testing, and other sexual health resources. Once inside, they’re met by individuals who are not medically trained and have no safety standards, who may jeopardize medical privacy, and will share dangerous disinformation about abortion and contraception.

Senator Kristen Arrington (D-Kissimmee) and Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Delray Beach) have filed legislation (SB 242, HB 6001) that would repeal the Florida Pregnancy Care Network and terminate the annual $29.5 million contract paid for with taxpayer money.
“Anti-abortion centers, which use scare tactics and disinformation to pressure people into giving birth, pose a serious threat to reproductive health care across the country,” said Sawyeh Esmaili, Senior Counsel, Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center. “Floridians already must navigate a cruel near-total abortion ban in a state that still hasn’t expanded Medicaid, and federal cuts will make accessing basic reproductive health care even more challenging. This investigation further emphasizes that – despite their claims – anti-abortion centers are not providing health care to pregnant people and cannot be trusted to provide honest, legitimate care to people in need. We strongly urge pregnant Floridians to avoid these fraudulent centers and call on the Florida Legislature to stop sending them millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.”

“Institutions in the Florida Pregnancy Care Network often conceal their religious motives in order to ensnare Floridians into giving birth against their will. It is extremely disturbing that our taxpayer dollars are enabling centers that not only lie to patients, but also risk the health and safety of Floridians to advance an extremist agenda. This is a blatant violation of the separation of church and state. Pregnant people deserve care from honest, trained professionals who put the patient’s health and well-being first,” said Nicole McCurdy from Catholics for Choice.

In multiple instances, these centers even advertise on their websites the importance of going in-person to screen for an ectopic pregnancy, yet none of their staff or volunteers are qualified to diagnose, treat, or discuss the condition.

Devon Graham, organizer with the Floridians for Reproductive Freedom Coalition stated, “In May of 2024, Florida Republican Congresswoman Kat Cammack faced a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, further complicated by Florida’s near-total abortion ban. What if she had gone to one of these centers for an ultrasound, like Sira in Gainesville who advertises ‘private and professional pregnancy medical care,’ including ultrasounds? Would they have missed or even lied to her about the diagnosis, delaying emergency care even longer?” 

Despite centers advertising ultrasounds, they are being instructed they should not diagnose, follow up, or assume responsibility. This presents an extreme danger for patients, especially those who may have an ectopic pregnancy, which is the case for 1-2% of all pregnancies.

This is outrageous disregard for pregnant people supported by state funds with no regulation of these ‘health centers’,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW.

Media Contact: Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW, 407 234-6408, vp@flnow.org

For Immediate Release: November 17, 2025

 President Julie Kent, Florida NOW  president@flnow.org

 FL NOW Objects to Florida’s Adoption of Heritage Foundation Curriculum Due to Over Politicization of Public Education

Orlando, FL — Advocacy groups and education leaders across Florida are raising strong objections to the state’s adoption of the Heritage Foundation’s “Phoenix Declaration” curriculum, warning that it risks politicizing classrooms and undermining inclusive, evidence-based education.

The Heritage Foundation, architect of Project 2025, has promoted the Phoenix Declaration as a framework for teaching “objective truth” and “traditional American values.” Florida’s Education Commissioner has announced that textbook reviews will now be guided by these principles.

“Florida’s classrooms should empower students to think critically, not serve as vehicles for partisan agendas,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW. “This curriculum narrows the lens of history and culture, and in doing so, it fails our students.” Teaching with a focus on “traditional” prepares students for the world as it was, not the world they are entering.

The curriculum:

  • Imposes ideology under the guise of neutrality – While claiming to oppose indoctrination, the declaration embeds a patriarchal, racist worldview into classrooms.
  • Marginalizes diverse perspectives – By centering Western and Judeo-Christian heritage, the curriculum will erase contributions from other cultures and communities. Current curriculums already teach a white-washed, over-glorified American history.
  • Undermines public education – Its emphasis on “parental choice” and funding portability threatens to divert resources away from public schools. Failing to mix children with different backgrounds and experiences, make all Floridian children less prepared for the challenges to come.
  • Politicizes curriculum review – Scholarly consensus will be replaced by ideological preferences in textbook approval.

“FL NOW emphasizes that Florida’s education system should focus on resources, staffing, and equitable access rather than adopting pledges from outside think tanks. We call on lawmakers and education officials to prioritize inclusive, evidence-based teaching that reflects the diversity of Florida’s communities,” said Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW. “As demonstrated by the removal of all DEI programs, the purging of Black Studies, Women Studies, Gender Studies, the adoption of The Heritage Foundation curriculum is frightening for the quality of our children’s education especially as it relates to non-white histories and injustices. It also means the lack of representation of people of color in all courses.”

Media Contact: Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW, 407 234-6408, vp@flnow.org

For Immediate Release: October 10, 2025

President Julie Kent, Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) president@flnow.org

Florida Counties Ordered to Eliminate Latino Leadership Courses Amid Federal Crackdown

Orlando, FL — In a sweeping move that has sparked outrage across Florida’s advocacy and education communities, the U.S. Department of Education has ordered multiple school districts—including Broward, Seminole, and Hillsborough—to terminate the Latinos in Action leadership course, citing alleged violations of federal civil rights law.

The program, which has operated in over 40 Florida schools and hundreds nationwide, was designed to empower Latino youth through leadership development, academic support, and community engagement. The federal directive claims the course “discriminates based on race” and threatens districts with loss of funding if they fail to comply. [Read more…]