Nearly two-thirds of the roughly 1,800 people detained in July at the Florida detention center nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” can no longer be found in ICE’s online tracking tool, the Online Detainee Locator System.
According to reporting by the Miami Herald and Democracy Now (Sept. 24, 2025), about 800 detainees have disappeared entirely from the public database, while another 450 cases return only a message instructing people to “call ICE for details.”
The anomalies have thrown families and legal representatives into confusion. Relatives and attorneys told Democracy Now they have no way of knowing whether those affected were deported, transferred to other facilities, or are being held out of public view. The lack of transparency, the outlets said, raises fears of an “administrative black hole” in which access to information — a necessary step for any effective legal remedy — is being obstructed.
The Florida complex, quickly dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by critics, represents an investment of about $2 billion, the Miami Herald reported. From the outset, it has faced legal challenges: a federal judge ordered the site closed shortly after its opening this summer, before an appeals panel allowed operations to continue. That back-and-forth has only fueled concerns about the facility’s governance and oversight.
Both media outlets stressed that the scale of these database “disappearances” is unprecedented. The public locator tool is one of the few ways families and advocates can identify where someone is being held, arrange visits, ensure continuity of legal representation, or verify whether a transfer or deportation is underway. Losing that visibility on such a scale effectively pushes hundreds of cases into a procedural gray zone where ICE holds all the initiative.
What the data shows — and what it doesn’t
The records cited by the Miami Herald and Democracy Now point to two troubling patterns:
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Missing profiles, which no longer return any results;
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Residual entries, limited to a note telling users to call ICE directly for details.
In both situations, the impact is the same, reporters noted: families and lawyers cannot quickly confirm the actual status of detainees. As of now, ICE has not publicly explained the glitches, offered a timetable for corrections, or detailed the scope of the problem.
The breakdown has real-world consequences. It disrupts critical procedures such as filing motions, applying for bond, scheduling hearings, or challenging imminent deportation orders. Democracy Now reported that attorneys say they are unable to locate their clients, leaving migrants more vulnerable and delaying urgent legal processes.
According to both outlets, the sheer scale of the problem — affecting hundreds of cases simultaneously — goes far beyond a mere technical glitch. The Miami Herald emphasized that the detention center has already been mired in controversy since opening and remains the target of ongoing litigation. In that context, the lack of traceability in ICE’s public database adds a new layer of criticism focused on transparency and accountability.
For now, neither outlet reported any official audit or timeline for resolving the anomalies. Families and attorneys say their priority is clear: to establish the precise whereabouts of those missing from ICE’s public system and confirm whether they have been transferred or deported. According to the Miami Herald and Democracy Now, rights groups are continuing to press for answers.
