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