Gravely ill detainees at two Florida immigration jails are on the verge of deportation to unknown African nations, despite their worsening medical conditions, according to relatives and an immigrant advocacy group. Flights are reportedly scheduled to depart as early as Wednesday.

The Workers Circle, an immigration advocacy group that has been monitoring conditions and communicating with detainees, stated that multiple sick individuals with various ailments have been targeted for imminent deportation. The group learned of the operation only in the past few days.

Arianne Betancourt, the group's immigrant rights organizer, explained that detainees were informed by deportation agents that due to their medical conditions, Mexico would not accept their entry, and they would instead be sent to Africa. She expressed concern that once deported to these third countries, the detainees would not receive adequate medical care or access to necessary medications.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disputed these claims, calling the story "false" and "designed to smear" ICE agents. A DHS spokesperson stated that no sick detainees are being deported and that all detainees are medically cleared and provided with necessary medications before travel. The spokesperson also cited a significant increase in assaults against ICE personnel.

The affected detainees are reportedly held at the Krome North processing center in Miami, a facility recently cited for severe overcrowding in a government inspector's report, and another facility in Broward County. The specific African nations to which the detainees are being deported have not been disclosed.

Advocates argue that deporting individuals with serious medical needs to countries with which they have no connection poses significant humanitarian concerns. They fear that these individuals will be left without proper medical attention and support systems in unfamiliar environments.

The Workers Circle has been actively trying to gather more information and provide assistance to the affected detainees and their families. The group is calling for an immediate halt to these deportations and for a thorough review of the medical needs and individual circumstances of each detainee.

Questions remain regarding the specific criteria used for selecting these detainees for deportation to third countries, the exact destinations, and the assurances of medical care in those nations. The rapid nature of the planned deportations has left little time for legal intervention or family notification.