A Venezuelan man whose family believed he had died at a controversial immigration detention centre in Florida has been found alive and secretly transferred to a facility in Texas, according to his lawyers.
Luis Manuel Rivas Velásquez, 38, had been held at the so-called 'Alligator Alcatraz' camp in the Florida Everglades, where he allegedly collapsed and was left unconscious on the floor. Guards were reportedly slow to respond, and another detainee had to perform CPR before he was taken to hospital with a respiratory infection.
His girlfriend, Rosana Navas, posted a tearful message on social media saying he had died due to government negligence. However, his attorneys later discovered he had been flown to the Camp East Montana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, and then moved again to an ICE processing centre in El Paso.
Eric Lee, his lawyer, described the treatment as 'enforced disappearance' and said the constant moves appeared to be retribution for his client's complaints about conditions. Rivas Velásquez has described the Florida camp as a 'living hell' and a 'nightmare', and said Fort Bliss was 'just as bad'.
Becca Sheff of the American Civil Liberties Union said Rivas Velásquez is desperate to be deported to Venezuela, having signed an agreement to leave after growing worn down by his asylum efforts. 'All that Luis wants desperately is to get out of detention, even if that means being deported to Venezuela,' she said.
The Florida camp, championed by former President Donald Trump, was ordered closed by a judge within 60 days earlier this month due to harsh conditions and alleged abuse. The Department of Homeland Security said detainees have access to proper medical care and that it takes its commitment to protecting those in custody seriously.
