“I went three days without knowing anything about my husband. He called me from a county number, but it didn't show up in the system,” said a Mexican woman, terrified after the temporary disappearance of her partner, who was arrested while he was a passenger heading to a construction site.
Although he had work permission, he was taken in a van to an unknown destination and returned, hours later, to the same prison with a different inmate number. No one knew where he was.
This type of “walking” has become a common maneuver to circumvent the rule that limits the time a local jail can hold an immigrant to 72 hours without criminal charges before being handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to a report by citing lawyers and activists, moving them from one jail to another, and even returning them to the same location with new identification, restarts the clock and extends their detention in an opaque and unconstitutional manner.
One of the most serious cases involves the Cuban Michael Borrego Fernández, who was arrested in June for violating the conditions of his parole after being charged with grand theft for scamming homeowners by taking advance payments for the construction of pools without completing the work. After serving 10 days in the Seminole jail, he was held in ICE custody in Orange.
Since then, her mother, Yaneisy Fernández Silva, has anxiously followed a maze of transfers: Seminole County Jail, then Orange, after that Pinellas, and finally the dreaded Alligator Alcatraz, the new immigration detention center in the Everglades, where she has been since July 5th.
“I could only track my son thanks to his calls”, said the mother, who claims that Michael was a victim of a labor scam that is now facing him with a possible deportation process.
"It is a tactic to disorient, exhaust, and break families."
The immigration lawyer Walker Smith described the case of four Guatemalan brothers who, after being detained, were transported in circles for hours only to end up back at the same detention center, but with new identification numbers. Two of them had valid work permits.
“This is playing with the system to buy time. There is no other way to see it,” Smith stated. “And in that process, rights are lost, legal defense is hindered, and families are stripped of the possibility of knowing if their loved ones are okay.”
The transfers, far from being isolated, have been confirmed by authorities in Orange and Pinellas counties, who cite "capacity issues" and "lack of beds in federal centers."
However, each additional day of detention costs the county $145, while the federal government only reimburses $88. An equation that, in addition to being opaque, proves to be costly.
Additionally, the lawyers report that during transfers, which can last for hours or even days, migrants are transported handcuffed, with chains around their waists, without access to water or regular food.
“When you are in a prison, there are at least rules: three meals, access to bathrooms. But in transit, that is lost,” explained attorney Mich González.
The state of Florida, under a strict policy against irregular migration, has increased arrests and fueled the collapse of the detention system.
Civil rights organizations in Florida have raised their voices, demanding an end to agreements between local jails and ICE.
"This is not bureaucracy, it is cruelty," said activists who helped locate the missing husband of the Mexican woman, hours after her family called for help.
Frequently Asked Questions about Secret Transfers of Migrants in Florida Prisons
Why are secret transfers of migrants conducted in Florida prisons?
The transfers of migrants are carried out to circumvent the regulation that limits to 72 hours the time a local jail can hold an immigrant without criminal charges before handing them over to ICE. These moves include taking detainees to different jails or returning to the same place with a new identification, which resets the retention time, extending their detention in an opaque and unconstitutional manner.
What are the conditions like at the Alligator Alcatraz detention center?
The conditions at the Alligator Alcatraz detention center have been described as inhumane, with extreme overcrowding, inadequate food, and lack of proper medical care. Detainees face suffocating heat, shortages of drinking water, and spoiled food. The facility has been criticized for human rights violations, and its operations have sparked multiple protests.
What impact do these detention practices have on the families of migrants?
These detention practices cause disorientation, emotional strain, and disruption within the families of migrants, who face uncertainty regarding the whereabouts and well-being of their loved ones. The lack of clear information and the hindrance in accessing legal defense obstruct the process for families and affect their basic rights.
What actions are being taken to address human rights violations in detention facilities in Florida?
Civil rights organizations and lawyers have filed lawsuits to demand transparency and access to legal services in detention centers. Judicial interventions have been sought to ensure respect for human rights and to halt unconstitutional practices, although so far responses have been limited and the situation remains critical.
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