Severely ill ICE detainees targeted for imminent deportation to Africa from Florida, advocates say
Relatives of gravely ill detainees at two Florida immigration jails and a rights group say authorities plan to deport them to African countries soon, possibly this week. They say the detainees' medical conditions are worsening.
Families of seriously ill detainees held at two immigration jails in south Florida, together with the advocacy group Workers Circle, say US authorities are preparing to deport their relatives to African countries despite deteriorating health. Flights could leave as early as Wednesday, they say. The practice involves sending detainees to third countries with which they have no ties, and advocates fear for the safety of the sick men.
Workers Circle has been monitoring conditions at two facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): the Krome North processing center in Miami and the Broward transitional center in Pompano Beach. Both are privately operated on ICE's behalf. Arianne Betancourt, the group's immigrant rights organizer, told a Tuesday night press conference that several detainees had phoned to say they were told in interviews with deportation agents that Mexico would not accept them because of their medical conditions, so they would be sent to Africa.
A wife describes her husband's condition
Anisley Cortés said her husband, Noslén Sendra, a 41-year-old Cuban national, has been detained since last November, first at the now-closed "Alligator Alcatraz" jail and since April at Krome. She said he has uncontrolled diabetes and acute pancreatitis, which led to a weeks-long hospital stay this year. According to her, he lost more than 50 pounds and was denied medication and enough food. Cuba will not accept him, she said, and Mexico will not either because he needs too many medications.
Immigration attorney Shalyn Fluharty said information from detainees points to two flights, probably on Thursday and Friday, to Africa, specifically the Central African Republic and, she believes, Burundi. She said previously deported people were shackled at the hands, ankles and waist, and some who complained were placed in full body wraps. Travel can take up to 24 hours.
A homeland security department spokesperson responding to a request for comment demanded the detainees' personal information, and did not respond further when given Sendra's details.
Overcrowding at Krome
During two unannounced visits in May, government inspectors found multiple violations of detention standards at Krome, including severe overcrowding: 1,102 detainees in a facility with a maximum capacity of 882. The report also cited too few working toilets, sinks and showers. Advocates say Donald Trump's second-term immigration crackdown has caused overcrowding nationwide, which the Department of Homeland Security has tried to ease by increasing flights to third countries. The US supreme court approved the practice last month, and hundreds of detainees have been sent to at least a dozen African countries. A Human Rights Watch report earlier this month documented abusive treatment during and after the flights.
