Fear of Deportation Looms Over the Incarcerated in Florida

Inside the Everglades Correctional Institution off Krome Avenue in West Miami-Dade County, a TV room once filled with sports fans has become crowded with men watching United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest, detain, and deport an untold number of immigrants out of the country.

Some are worried about immediate deportations for themselves or their family members. Others are growing alarmed by President Donald Trump's willingness to deport anyone with a felony conviction.

Many are aware that their home state has long pushed to criminalize immigrants and has deep ties to Trump's broader deportation agenda. Governor Ron DeSantis, a longtime Trump backer, promised a crackdown and signed sweeping immigration bills in February. Florida Highway Patrol recently used a Florida immigration law to detain the U.S.-born citizen Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez during a traffic stop.

Pamela Bondi, who served as Florida's attorney general and is now the U.S. Attorney General, championed Arizona's infamous SB 1070, known as the "show me your papers" law, pushing for its adoption in Florida. This month, the president said he had "no problem" deporting "homegrown criminals" who are American citizens, noting that "Pam is studying the laws."

"If we can do that, that's good. And I'm talking about violent people," Trump said. "I'm talking about really bad people. Really bad people. Every bit as bad as the ones coming in."

The fear inside the prison — an already-criminalized population — is taking hold.

"First, Trump says those who are criminals, now ICE is grabbing everybody," says Eddie M., who identifies as Hispanic and is a longtime resident at Everglades Correctional Institution. (Note: To protect their privacy, some sources are identified by first name and last initial only.)

About 13 percent of Florida's state prison population is Hispanic, according to Prison Policy Initiative. There are mixed views and concerns among the prison's Hispanic population, which has been highly targeted in this first wave of deportations.

"I'm afraid for my Aunt," William G, also Hispanic, says. "Thirty years ago, she committed a crime, and it's not clear to my family how ICE determines who gets placed on their deportation list. So I'm afraid for her. Although she's here legally, ICE is just grabbing people off their jobs, off the streets. And some of them, like my aunt, have been in this country for years."

Juan Carraza says he'd rather be deported than remain in a Florida prison. "I am an immigrant, and I hope he deports all of us who are in prison," he says.

Lloyd C., who has Haitian family members, has closely followed Trump attempting to revoke protections for Haitian immigrants. "Our government stopped all flights going in and out of Haiti," he says. "Being that Trump believes that Haitians are animal eaters, the Haitians in Florida have legitimate concerns. We have a governor who does everything for his political career, and when ICE starts targeting Haitians, he will be on board with exporting them to whatever country that would take them."

The worry goes deeper than the deportation of immigrants. There is fear and uncertainty about authorities moving the prison population to another country, whose policies are not the same as those of the U.S.

"Right now, if I am exported to another country, no one will know about it — everybody will believe that I got transferred to another institution," Lloyd C. says. "Do you think that people would really care about poor convicted felons being shipped to another country, when no one cares about the horrible treatment we're already receiving in our own country? That's scary!"

"The mixed messaging is what builds upon my anxiety," Abdus Salaam, a U.S. citizen and another longtime resident of the prison, says. "How does ICE determine what group of Muslims gets placed on their list, and deported to Panama or El Salvador?" Salaam read that people from the Middle East make up most of those being deported to Panama. "I'm worried that sooner or later, when a so-called Muslim performs a horrific act, Trump or another President is going to have us on a plane to El Salvador," he says.

Salaam also echoed Lloyd's concerns about how easy it would be to "disappear" inside the state's prison system. "The sad reality of our judicial system is nobody would notice all poor blacks being shipped there," he says. "Once they put us on those planes, no one will even notice we're missing."

Willie J. does not believe Congress would allow Trump to begin deporting people charged with felonies, but is also aware that political winds could quickly change. "One horrific act could change that," he says. "It won't be surprising if they create a list and start deporting convicted felons. When our family and friends find out about it, it'll be too late to bring us back."

Allen V. summed up what many have feared from Trump all along: "Trump is doing exactly what he said he was going to do."

Editor's note: Anthony Cobb is a freelance writer currently incarcerated at Everglades Correctional Institution. Miami New Times verified the author's identity and worked with him to edit this story for accuracy and clarity.