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Sanctuary of the South

@sanctuarysouth.bsky.social
59 followers 23 following 33 posts

Sanctuary of the South (SOS) provides critical, affordable legal defense to immigrant families torn apart by detention, deportation, and abuse. www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com

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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
We're still hiring a Staff Attorney! We'd love to hear from someone who has: • > 2 years of experience in immigration law • Fluency in Spanish • JD from an accredited law school • Active licence to practice law in the US and is based Southeast US Details 👉 sanctuaryofthesouth.com/jobs
sanctuaryofthesouth.com
We're hiring a Staff Attorney! — Sanctuary Of The South
We're looking for a Staff Attorney to join our team! If you have more than 2 years of experience, are fluent in Spanish, have a JD from an accredited law school and an active licence to practice law ...
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
We're #hiring. Could you be our next Staff Attorney? Details 👇 www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/jobs
sanctuaryofthesouth.com
Jobs — Sanctuary Of The South
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
@us.theguardian.com revealed that ICE sought court orders to force-feed at least 10 people on hunger strike in detention—an invasive and traumatic procedure. One of these people is our client Andriy Shepitsen, who has severe bipolar disorder. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘What they’re doing qualifies as torture’: new details of ICE force-feeding revealed
Exclusive: cases of Afghan man, Ukrainian man and Saudi woman show repeated nasogastric tube insertions and lack of legal representation
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
ICE took Maria without a warrant, away from her two young, vulnerable daughters, violating their own directive. We, @tnimmigrant.bsky.social, Amnesty USA, ACLU of Louisiana and @kennedyhrc.bsky.social partnered to demand Maria's immediate release. www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/news/nursing...
sanctuaryofthesouth.com
Nursing Mother of Two Arrested Without Warrant by ICE, Held 700 Miles From Her Children in Violation of the Agency's Own Policy — Sanctuary Of The South
Maria Perez* was breastfeeding when ICE agents detained her in Nashville, separating her from her infant and two-year-old with Down syndrome.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
We and @aclufl.bsky.social sent the government a Notice and Demand Letter on behalf of our clients who were beaten and abused in the now-closed "Alligator Alcatraz": preserve every record of what happened, or answer for destroying it. Read more 👇 www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/news/press-r...
https://www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/news/press-release-sos-and-aclufl-alligator-alcatraz-brutal-assaults
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
🚨 WE'RE HIRING a 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿. This is a hybrid, full-time contract position based in South Florida. Could this be you? Apply 👇 www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/jobs/freedom...
sanctuaryofthesouth.com
Freedom Advocates Program Manager — Sanctuary Of The South
Full-Time Contractor | Hybrid - South Florida
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
🚨 We're partnering with @workerscircle.bsky.social to give every unrepresented person detained in Alligator Alcatraz legal counsel. If they are transferred, that support will go with them. We're at 📍Freedom Vigil, outside Alligator Alcatraz on 🗓️ Sunday, May 31.
circle.org
Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South Launch Unprecedented Campaign: No Human Being in Alligator Alcatraz Left Without Counsel — The Workers Circle
The Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South (SOS) are stepping in. The two organizations have joined forces to launch an unprecedented intervention: to give every unrepresented person detain...
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The Workers Circle @workerscircle.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Can’t get to the vigil? You can also sign up for a free legal consultation by emailing sos@sanctuaryofthesouth.com or calling the RAISE hotline at 800-600-5762. Read the full press release here: www.circle.org/news/alligat... Donate here: secure.actblue.com/donate/twc-a...
circle.org
Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South Launch Unprecedented Campaign: No Human Being in Alligator Alcatraz Left Without Counsel — The Workers Circle
The Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South (SOS) are stepping in. The two organizations have joined forces to launch an unprecedented intervention: to give every unrepresented person detain...
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The Workers Circle @workerscircle.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Join us this Sunday at Alligator Alcatraz for our weekly Freedom Vigil: www.mobilize.us/theworkersci... #AlligatorAlcatraz #HumanRights #ImmigrantRights #WorkersCircle
mobilize.us
Freedom Vigil: Alligator Alcatraz · The Workers Circle
*This is a peaceful, non-partisan event. In the face of the enormous cruelty of this moment, we are standing strong in our shared commitment to non-violent protest.* This week and every week you are ...
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The Workers Circle @workerscircle.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
HOTLINE UPDATE: 888-600-5762 Can’t get to the vigil? You can also sign up for a free legal consultation by emailing sos@sanctuaryofthesouth.com or calling the RAISE hotline at 800-600-5762. Read press release here: www.circle.org/news/alligat... Donate here: secure.actblue.com/donate/twc-a...
circle.org
Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South Launch Unprecedented Campaign: No Human Being in Alligator Alcatraz Left Without Counsel — The Workers Circle
The Workers Circle and Sanctuary of the South (SOS) are stepping in. The two organizations have joined forces to launch an unprecedented intervention: to give every unrepresented person detain...
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
@people.com ran Raiko's story, and the abuse that he and the other detained people have suffered at Alligator Alcatraz. Raiko and our other clients, like all of us, have jobs, families, friends, and futures to look forward to. We cannot look away from what is happening to them.
people.com
Guards Beat Up Immigrants Detained at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ After They Complained About Losing Phone Access, Lawyer Claims
An attorney for an immigrants’ rights firm representing detainees at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention center alleged in a court filing that inmates reported that guards severely beat detainees, ...
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Raiko's story was picked up by @nbcnews.com Miami
nbcmiami.com
Detainees detail beatings and abuse at ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
Detainees are raising serious new concerns about conditions and oversight inside the state-run detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
“Entering this country without documentation... is not a criminal offense. It is the functional equivalent of a speeding ticket.” Our founder @kat12birdy.bsky.social spoke to @majorityreport.bsky.social about the abuses and profit motivce of ICE detention centres, and how you can help fight it.
youtube.com
Progressive Fighters; ICE Detention Scam w/ Chris Rabb, Katie Blankenship, Lindsey Boylan | MR LIVE
YouTube video by The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder
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dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
April 2: guards cut all phone access in the housing units without warning. When detainees protested, CRS officers allegedly punched a man, threw another to the ground, kicked him in the head, and pinned him by the neck. A third detainee's wrist was broken. The entire cage was pepper-sprayed.
miamiherald.com
Alligator Alcatraz phones were cut off. Then the beatings began, court docs say
Attorneys say the Trump and DeSantis administrations are disregarding a court order requiring access to phones and attorneys for detainees.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Dear god. Very, very serious allegations of mass civil rights violations at the State of Florida's Everglades immigration detention center (officially known as "Alligator Alcatraz").
Attorneys representing immigrants held at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention site alleged Friday in federal court that guards beat and pepper-sprayed detainees after a protest over lost phone access — allegations they argue show state and federal officials defying a recent court order protecting detainees’ civil rights. In a court filing in Fort Myers, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and civil rights groups said officers at the controversial Everglades facility entered a unit earlier this month and physically assaulted detainees. One man was thrown to the ground and “severely beat,” according to his attorney, who submitted photographs to the court showing her client with a black eye. The attorney, Katie Blankenship of the legal-services organization Sanctuary of the South, wrote in a sworn declaration that officers broke another detainee’s wrist and “pepper sprayed everyone in the cage.” The violence, the attorneys say, erupted after site employees abruptly cut off detainees’ access to phones on April 2 — eliminating what they described as their clients’ only connection to legal counsel and their families. The day-long prohibition came less than a week after Middle District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell issued an order expanding Alligator Alcatraz detainees’ access to their lawyers and their ability to use phones at the remote pop-up facility.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
"Alligator Alcatraz...has faced continuous claims of abuse and civil rights violations as deaths in ICE custody have risen precipitously." Raiko Lopez Morffi's and Lazaro Hernandez Galban's stories inside Alligator Alcatraz are NOT isolated cases. Thank you @people.com for this story.
people.com
Guards Beat Up Immigrants Detained at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ After They Complained About Losing Phone Access, Lawyer Claims
An attorney for an immigrants’ rights firm representing detainees at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention center alleged in a court filing that inmates reported that guards severely beat detainees, ...
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
🧵 Our client Andriy Shepitsen has documented, severe bipolar disorder, major depression, and ADHD. ICE detained him at Alligator Alcatraz and denied him critical psychiatric care and medication. Story by @alexmar.bsky.social at @prismreports.org @aclufl.bsky.social @amnesty.org
prismreports.org
Detained Ukrainian man’s life remains at risk after hunger strike in ICE custody, advocates say
At one point, the government moved to force-feed Andriy Shepitsen at Krome detention center in Florida, his lawyers allege
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Thank you for reporting on this story @mikeysid.bsky.social. There is an urgent need for legal representation for Raiko and all our other illegally detained clients, and we're fighting hard to get them the justice they deserve!
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
On @miamiherald.com: Our client Raiko Lopez Morffi (& other detainees) was beaten badly by guards at Alligator Alcatraz after losing phone access on April 2, a mere week after Middle District Judge Sheri Chappell ordered detainees’ expanded access to lawyers and phones.
miamiherald.com
Alligator Alcatraz phones were cut off. Then the beatings began, court docs say
Attorneys say the Trump and DeSantis administrations are disregarding a court order requiring access to phones and attorneys for detainees.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
"At Krome, reports have poured in about a lack of water and food, unsanitary confinement and medical neglect. With the surge of complaints, the Trump administration shut down three Department of Homeland Security oversight offices charged with investigating such claims." apnews.com/article/immi...
apnews.com
As immigrant arrests surge, complaints of abuse mount at America's oldest detention center in Miami
As President Donald J. Trump seeks to make good on his campaign pledge of mass arrests and removals of migrants, the U.S. immigration detention system is being overrun with prisoners.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
"‘I fully believe that Maksym Chernyak would be alive today but for him being detained by the Department of Homeland Security,’ said Katie Blankenship, a lawyer representing Tarasiuk. 'They knew he had dangerously high blood pressure and chose to do nothing.’" www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Trump Mass-Deportation Push Overcrowds Miami Krome ICE Center
Two detainees who were held at the detention facility have died this year, and many more have endured long waits for basic necessities
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
On May 21st we will share our experiences and exchange ideas about how we build new ways of life and work to support liberation and resistance in the face of increasing authoritarian attacks on our communities. Join us! us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
We are honored to cordially invite you to the Sanctuary of the South (SOS) Community Wedding! This celebration is not only the kick off event for SOS, but a moment in time to come together in joy, power, and resistance. Find more information and RSVP HERE: www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com/wedding
sanctuaryofthesouth.com
SOS Community Wedding RSVP — SOS
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
“‘What is missing from any decision to reopen Glades is whether they have addressed the gross deficiencies that required them to close in the first place,’ said Katie Blankenship, immigration attorney and co-founding partner for Sanctuary of the South.” www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
miamiherald.com
Trump administration to resume housing detained immigrants in controversial Florida facility
The Biden administration limited the facility’s use in 2022 due to “persistent and ongoing concerns” related to detainee medical care.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
"'They clearly have plans to reopen facilities or build new ones,' Gonzalez, the Louisiana attorney, said, "but in the meantime they are overcrowding the existing facilities." Read more about the condition of women held in an all-male detention center: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
usatoday.com
Immigrant women describe 'hell on earth' in ICE detention
No shower for days, cameras trained on the toilet, women crammed into cells 'like sardines,' among the allegations.
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Our co-founder, @tiomich.bsky.social doing what he does best - spreading light, hope, love, and undying resistance for our beloved trans immigrant community. These are dark days, friends, but we are in this together. #lalucha #trans #transrights #TransDayofVisibility #immigrantrights
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Tío Mich @tiomich.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Happy Trans Day of Visibility to my extended familia & beloved community! #not1more #lgbt #TDOV #immigrants Learn more at www.sanctuaryofthesouth.com & abrazos until next time--much love, tío mich
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
"This sounds like the stuff of nightmares. It is also the reality in the U.S. — a government-sponsored terrorism on millions of immigrants targeted by the Trump administration." Check out our op-ed about worsening conditions in ICE detention centers like Krome. www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e...
miamiherald.com
Immigrant deaths in ICE detention in South Florida demand action | Opinion
Since January, two undocumented immigrants have died while being held in detention at Krome | Opinion
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Sanctuary of the South @sanctuarysouth.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
"Sanctuary of the South [SOS] has been at the Krome North Service Processing Center in South Florida where the Ukrainian refugee and at least one … other recently died. … [Katie Blankenship, founding partner of SOS] is working to file a wrongful death lawsuit." truthout.org/articles/law...
truthout.org
Lawsuit Alleges Trump’s Guantánamo Transfers Aim to “Instill Fear” in Immigrants
Three have died in ICE custody as Trump rapidly expands government capacity to surveil and incarcerate immigrants.
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