6 May 8-14, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | FEAR OF FLYING Deportation Fears Loom at Everglades Correctional Institution. BY ANTHONY COBB I nside the Everglades Correc- tional 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) ar- rest, detain, and deport an untold number of immigrants out of the country. Some are worried about immediate depor- tations for themselves or their family mem- bers. Others are growing alarmed by President Donald Trump’s willingness to de- port 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 Febru- ary. Florida Highway Patrol recently used a Florida immigration law to detain the U.S.- born citizen Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez dur- ing a traffic stop. Pamela Bondi, who served as Florida’s attorney general and is now the U.S. Attor- ney General, championed Arizona’s infa- mous 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, not- ing that “Pam is studying the laws.” “If we can do that, that’s good. And I’m talk- ing 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 popu- lation, 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 commit- ted a crime, and it’s not clear to my family how ICE determines who gets placed on their de- portation 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 im- migrant, 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 re- voke protections for Haitian immigrants. “Our government stopped all flights going in and out of Haiti,” he says. “Being that Trump be- lieves that Haitians are animal eaters, the Hai- tians 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 authori- ties 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 — every- body will believe that I got transferred to an- other institution,” Lloyd C. says. “Do you think that people would really care about poor convicted felons being shipped to an- other 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. citi- zen 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 Salva- dor?” Salaam read that people from the Mid- dle 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” in- side 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. [email protected] Incarcerated men at Everglades Correctional Institution are worried about being deported, whether they are legal residents or not. Photo by Florida Department of Corrections | METRO | “RIGHT NOW, IF I AM EXPORTED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, NO ONE WILL KNOW ABOUT IT.” Odds Against Some nationalities find it easier than others to gain asylum in Miami. BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON W hile those seeking asylum in Miami face slim odds of getting accepted, some nationalities face stiffer odds than others, according to data from Mobile Pathways. Mobile Pathways, a national immigration advocacy group, co-founder Bart Skorupa, tells New Times that asylum is an unfair lottery generally benefiting migrants from predominantly white nations over predominantly black and brown nations. And while that’s usually true for cities nationwide, few nationalities have favorable odds of gaining asylum in Miami, according to Mobile Pathways data collected over the past decade. “You have to meet the qualifications of past or future persecution, and you have to show there’s nowhere else to go in your country or the world,” immigration attorney and Mobile Pathways board member Ruby Powers tells New Times. “It can appear that there’s a disproportionate group that’s more qualified than another.” New Times focused on nationalities with at least 30 asylum applicants in Miami over the past 10 years and assembled the 15 nationalities with the worst odds of gaining asylum in Miami. Nationalities with the Lowest Chances of Gaining Asylum in Miami 1. Bahamas: 97 percent denial rate (37 rejections out of 38) 2. Somalia: 96 percent denial rate (51 rejections out of 53) 3. Brazil: 95 percent denial rate (999 rejections out of 1,048) 4. (tie) Haiti: 94 percent denial rate (2,431 rejections out of 2,580) (tie) Jamaica: 94 percent denial rate (174 rejections out of 185) 6. Mexico: 93 percent denial rate (694 rejections out of 742) (tie) Guatemala: 92 percent denial rate (6,825 rejections out of 7,390) (tie) Dominican Republic: 92 percent denial rate (69 rejections out of 72) (tie) India: 92 percent denial rate (60 rejections out of 65) (tie) Peru: 90 percent denial rate (170 rejections out of 190) (tie) Romania: 90 percent denial rate (67 rejections out of 75) (tie) Ecuador: 90 percent denial rate (49 rejections out of 55) 13. El Salvador: 89 percent denial rate (1,831 rejections out of 2,042) 14. (tie) Honduras: 88 percent denial rate (5,489 rejections out of 6,198) (tie) Chile: 88 percent denial rate (122 rejections out of 138) Dozens of nations, with at least 30 asylum seekers in the past 10 years, had unfavorable odds of gaining asylum in Miami. But only four nationalities, with at least 30 asylum seekers, had better than a 50 percent chance of gaining asylum in Miami. “A lot of times, after a horrible thing happens, they flee to another city in their country and take whatever they can carry on their backs,” | IMMIGRATION | >> p8
