Alligator Alcatraz: Hundreds of Detainees Vanish from Online Databases
- lavozlatinatu
- Oct 3, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2025
By: Mayra Coyoy
Word Count: 435
Estimated Read Time: 2 mins
In September 2025, reports and online rumors, such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X, circulated that two-thirds of detainees were missing from “Alligator Alcatraz,” a state-run migrant detention center in Florida that opened in July 2025 being built in just eight days.
The claim quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing thousands of views and sparking widespread concern.
The Miami Herald later confirmed inconsistencies in government records, reporting that "around 800 detainees showed no record on ICE’s online database", and as of late, another 450 did not have a location but rather a message “Call ICE for details.”
Reporters based their findings on two detainee rosters obtained in July and August, which they cross-referenced with ICE’s online locator system.
The Department of Homeland Security responded, “FALSE, No one is unaccounted, including at Alligator Alcatraz – in ICE’s online detention locator system. This is yet another hoax about the facility.”
Specific cases highlighted the confusion. One Guatemalan man missed his hearing after being mistakenly deported to Guatemala.
While Cuban national Michael Borrego Fernandez was deported to Mexico without notice, leaving his family unaware of his whereabouts.
This controversy has fueled a broader debate about oversight at the detention center, given its isolated location in Florida’s wetlands.
The facility itself was constructed on a remote airstrip formerly known as Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, under Florida’s emergency powers.
Florida awarded multimillion-dollar contracts to private firms, including Critical Response Strategies, Longview Solutions Groups, and Doodie Calls.
Much of the cost, exceeding $200 million, is expected to be reimbursed through FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.
In terms of hierarchy, the detention center was officially overseen by the State of Florida, with the Florida Division of Emergency Management overseeing it on a day-to-day basis.
On-site, wardens and camp managers were hired privately, to handle direct facility management.
At a federal level, ICE and DHS maintain authority over detainee records, deportation proceedings, and transfers, though reporting has shown major inconsistencies between state contractors and ICE’s online locator system.
Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union ( or better known as ACLU) stated that it “has reportedly made it difficult for attorneys to reach their detained clients, therefore allegedly violating detainees’ First and Fifth amendment rights,” while opaque recordkeeping has created barriers to due process.
While the government insists that no detainees are missing, The Miami Herald's reporting shows serious inconsistencies in record-keeping and communication.
The available evidence does not prove that exactly two-thirds of detainees vanished, but it does confirm that many were untraceable for weeks at a time, fueling legitimate concerns about transparency and oversight.
Summaries:
Since the closure of the migrant detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” concerns on transparency and oversight grow as names do not appear on online databases. Confusion and concern rises as the number of migrants, previously located at “Alligator Alcatraz” have not been accounted for in online databases.
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