ICE's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Facility Exposed for Disappearing Detainees, DNA Collection Abuses Revealed

Disappearances at 'Alligator Alcatraz'

• 🐊 The Florida-run Everglades Detention Center, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' is under scrutiny for the sudden disappearances of hundreds of detainees.
• ❓ Reports indicate that nearly two-thirds of the 1,800 men brought to the facility in July are unaccounted for in ICE records.
• 📉 Around 800 detainees had no record in ICE's database, and over 450 had no listed location, only instructions to 'Call ICE for details.'
• ⚠️ Florida's state-run facility lacks a searchable database for detainees, unlike federal facilities, raising concerns about accountability and family notification.
• ⚖️ Although a federal court ruling initially halted operations, an appeals court has overturned this, allowing the facility to continue, potentially leading to more disappearances.

DNA Collection and Privacy Abuses

• 🧬 A new report reveals that DHS, Border Patrol, and ICE have been collecting DNA from migrants and even US citizens between 2020 and 2024.
• 👤 Approximately 2,000 US citizens had their DNA collected without notice and entered into federal databases, such as the Kotus database, typically used for convicted criminals.
• ✈️ In one instance, a 25-year-old US citizen was subjected to a cheek swab for DNA at Midway Airport in 2021, despite being charged with no crime.
• 👶 Sensitive genetic information from about 133,000 teens and children, primarily detained migrants, has also been uploaded to this federal criminal database with no sunset clause.
• ⚖️ This practice is seen as a violation of rights, as DNA data can reveal sensitive information about individuals and their relatives, potentially subjecting them to unwarranted investigations.
• 🚨 The report calls for the purging of US citizens' information from the database and suggests criminal charges for those who authorized or conducted these practices.