ICE Punishes Migrant By Forcing Him to Stay Outside in Heat and Mosquitos
Migrants at Florida's Glades County Detention Center report beatings, medical neglect, and forced outdoor punishment in extreme heat and mosquitoes.
By Aaron Parnas•July 21, 2025•8 min read
Immigration
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Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said immigration officials will escalate operations in sanctuary cities like NYC, calling them a priority and vowing to "flood the zone" following a robbery and shootout involving an off-duty customs officer in Manhattan.
A Border Patrol chief said agents “are not leaving” Los Angeles until “the mission is accomplished,” amid ongoing immigration raids. In a video, he said, “I don’t work for Karen Bass.” Federal officials have faced protests in LA since the operations began in June.
In pro-Trump Yamhill County, Oregon, the deportation of longtime resident Moises Sotelo—an undocumented immigrant, business owner, and community leader—has sparked outrage. Even Trump supporters are calling the crackdown cruel and economically harmful, as support for mass deportations wanes.
The Miami Herald highlighted seven stories of migrants living in Alligator Alcatraz, highlighting the human rights abuses they are facing: Fernando Artese, a 63-year-old Argentine-Italian man, was arrested while trying to leave the U.S. after overstaying a visa. He called the Everglades-based facility a “concentration camp,” citing mistreatment and humiliation.Nicolás Esbir, a chef and asylum seeker with a U.S. family, was arrested at work and held past his release date. He was later sent to Alligator Alcatraz despite no criminal convictions, after a domestic protection order filed by his wife.Jordin Castillo, a Miami business owner with minor past charges, says he was punished with hours in the sun and denied medical care after beginning a hunger strike. He described dire conditions, food scarcity, and COVID-19 spread.Daniel Muela Gomez, an Ecuadorian with legal work status and no known criminal record, was detained after a traffic stop. He reported being denied food flexibility and developed new lung issues inside the camp.Juan Arango Matallana, a Colombian DJ with past low-level offenses, says guards beat him for demanding better conditions. His wife says he was moved as punishment and described unsanitary bathrooms and poor food.Hairon Lazaro Cueto, a Cuban immigrant with serious lung issues, was allegedly beaten after a language misunderstanding about his medical needs. He’s now vomiting blood and not receiving medication, says his friend and caretaker.Espejo Hernán Morales, a long-time U.S. resident and father of three, suffers from heart disease and says he’s suffocating in custody. A guard anonymously warned his partner he may die before getting help.
Fernando Artese, a 63-year-old Argentine-Italian man, was arrested while trying to leave the U.S. after overstaying a visa. He called the Everglades-based facility a “concentration camp,” citing mistreatment and humiliation.
Nicolás Esbir, a chef and asylum seeker with a U.S. family, was arrested at work and held past his release date. He was later sent to Alligator Alcatraz despite no criminal convictions, after a domestic protection order filed by his wife.
Jordin Castillo, a Miami business owner with minor past charges, says he was punished with hours in the sun and denied medical care after beginning a hunger strike. He described dire conditions, food scarcity, and COVID-19 spread.
Daniel Muela Gomez, an Ecuadorian with legal work status and no known criminal record, was detained after a traffic stop. He reported being denied food flexibility and developed new lung issues inside the camp.
Juan Arango Matallana, a Colombian DJ with past low-level offenses, says guards beat him for demanding better conditions. His wife says he was moved as punishment and described unsanitary bathrooms and poor food.
Hairon Lazaro Cueto, a Cuban immigrant with serious lung issues, was allegedly beaten after a language misunderstanding about his medical needs. He’s now vomiting blood and not receiving medication, says his friend and caretaker.
Espejo Hernán Morales, a long-time U.S. resident and father of three, suffers from heart disease and says he’s suffocating in custody. A guard anonymously warned his partner he may die before getting help.
The Trump administration has released 200,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr., despite opposition from his family. The files, sealed since 1977, follow Trump’s earlier releases of JFK and RFK assassination records under a 2025 executive order.
JD Vance’s U.K. vacation to face major protests: The Stop Trump Coalition and other activist groups plan to disrupt Vice President JD Vance’s upcoming trip to the Cotswolds, protesting his alignment with Trump and the current administration’s policies.
According to Wired, Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick backs tariffs, but his former firm Cantor Fitzgerald—now run by his sons—is helping clients bet those same tariffs will be struck down in court, trading refund rights for millions. The setup has raised serious ethical questions.
Texas Republicans are launching a redistricting push during a special session called after central Texas floods. Backed by Trump, the plan could add up to five GOP-friendly House seats. Democrats have threatened lawsuits, calling the move a blatant gerrymander. One proposed map would wipe out every single Democratic district in the state:
Democrats are forcing a vote to release Jeffrey Epstein-related documents by pushing Rep. Massie’s bipartisan bill as an amendment, increasing pressure on Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly has no plans to offer a GOP-led alternative before the August recess.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she was “cheated” by Trump after backing his budget bill in exchange for clean energy tax credits—only for him to revoke them by executive order.
The White House is excluding the Wall Street Journal from Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland after the paper reported he wrote a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump sued for $10 billion, calling the report defamatory. The WH cites "fake conduct."
The CBO says Trump’s OBBB law will add $3.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade—driven by a $4.5T drop in revenue and only $1.1T in spending cuts.
Judge Young compared Donald Trump to Henry II, referencing the infamous “meddlesome priest” line that led to an unsanctioned killing. “Trump doesn’t have errant knights,” Young said, “but he’s got Stephen Miller.”
Rep. Mark Green has resigned from the House after weeks of absence. The current House makeup is now 219 Republicans, 212 Democrats, and 4 vacancies.
The FAA is investigating after a Delta Connection flight had to make an emergency evasive maneuver to avoid a speeding B-52 bomber near Minot Airport. The bomber, returning from a fair flyover, forced the SkyWest pilot—already cleared to land—to take sudden action.
The Pentagon has pulled all 700 active-duty Marines from Los Angeles, following last week’s withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops. Deployed amid unrest tied to protests against immigration enforcement, officials now say the situation has stabilized. The Pentagon praised the Marines for their role in restoring order, despite local leaders previously calling the deployment unnecessary.
Trump Media has invested $2 billion in Bitcoin and crypto assets. CEO Devin Nunes says the move shields the company from “discrimination by financial institutions.” It marks a major bet by the Trump family on crypto’s future amid their ongoing digital finance push.
A Washington Post analysis found the Trump administration has flouted court orders in over one-third of lawsuits decided against it—ignoring rulings, withholding evidence, and defying judges across 57 of 165 cases. Judges from both parties have so far avoided punitive action.
Trump threatened to appeal a judge’s upcoming decision in the Harvard funding case, calling the judge a “TOTAL DISASTER” and vowing to “WIN.” The case centers on his effort to cut billions from universities. Trump also labeled Harvard “anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America.”
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate a policy providing lawyers to immigrants deemed mentally incompetent in deportation proceedings, ruling the policy was ended without a valid legal justification.
Trump has appointed Mike Rigas as acting head of the GSA, aiming to curb Elon Musk’s influence over the agency. Rigas replaces a Musk ally who led DOGE, Musk’s efficiency initiative that had near-total control of the GSA. The move is seen as a strategic shake-up.
Good News:
Dogs across the U.S. are being trained to sniff out spotted lanternfly egg masses—an invasive pest threatening crops in 18 states. A Virginia Tech study shows citizen dogs can detect the eggs with up to 82% accuracy, offering a new way to fight agricultural devastation.
China has demolished 600 dams and hydrostations along the Yangtze’s Red River tributary, restoring spawning grounds for the endangered Yangtze sturgeon. For the first time this century, sturgeon are returning to breed in the wild—marking a major ecological victory.
