Flights to unknown countries in Africa are scheduled as early as Wednesday, relatives detail

Relatives of gravely ill detainees at two Florida immigration jails say authorities are about to deport their loved ones to unknown countries in Africa despite worsening medical conditions.

Flights are scheduled as early as Wednesday, according to the families and the immigration advocacy group the Workers Circle, which has been monitoring conditions and speaking with detainees inside two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in south Florida.

The group said multiple sick detainees with varying conditions had been targeted for imminent deportation, and learned about the operation only in the last few days.

“I received a call from several detainees letting me know that men were being pulled in to interviews with deportation agents, where they were being informed that because of their medical conditions, Mexico would not be accepting their entry, and they will be sent to Africa,” Arianne Betancourt, the group’s immigrant rights organizer, said at a Tuesday night press conference.

“We know that once they are deported and sent to these third countries, they are not receiving medical care in detention. They have difficulties getting medicine.”

The affected detainees are at the Krome North processing center in Miami, which was found to be experiencing severe overcrowding by a government inspector’s report last month, and the Broward transitional center in Pompano Beach. Both facilities are privately run on behalf of ICE.