Overview

• The count of Mexican nationals at the facility rose from 49 to 176 in roughly two weeks, according to Consul Juan Sabines Guerrero.
• Consular officials report detainees were taken into custody by Florida state and local police, not federal immigration agents.
• Driving without a state license and riding as passengers without immigration documents were cited as the most common reasons for detention.
• The Mexican consulate describes a “human drama,” is providing assistance to detainees and families, and identifies Jacksonville as the primary hotspot.
• Civil groups decry a lack of transparency and estimate about 400 people are held, while the site, opened Sept. 2 near Jacksonville with capacity for 2,000, followed an appeals court pause on dismantling the Alligator Alcatraz facility.