Florida Migrant Detention Centers Are in the News Again
A new report highlights inhumane conditions bolstered by videos out of one of the detention centers two months ago
A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) details abusive practices at three Florida immigration detention centers: Krome North Service Processing Center (Krome), Broward Transitional Center (BTC), and the Federal Detention Center (FDC). The report highlights the deluge of detentions following Trump’s Executive Order, mandating the detention of migrants suspected of immigration law violations for the duration of their removal proceedings.
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The HRW report exposes widespread violations of international human rights laws and basic U.S. detention standards. Migrants reported demeaning treatment, prolonged shackling, severe overcrowding in freezing cells, and denial of access to hygiene and medical care. The report also includes personal accounts of substandard medical care, solitary confinement, lack of legal support, and inhumane living conditions.
“The report is based on interviews with eleven currently and recently detained individuals, some of which took place at Krome and BTC; family members of seven detainees; and 14 immigration lawyers, as well as data analysis,” reads the HRW report. “Two of the facilities, Krome and BTC, are operated by private contractors under ICE oversight.”
These findings align with previous investigations, indicating systemic issues with immigration detentions. For example, the Krome detention center, one of the most notorious in Florida, has consistently exceeded operational capacity. The report attributes the growing abuses to Florida's use of 287(g) agreements that allow local law enforcement to conduct immigration enforcement operations and federal mandatory detention policies, combined with amplified enforcement.
“One woman described arriving at Krome–a facility that typically only holds men–late at night on January 28,” reads the HRW report. “Officers then confined her for days with dozens of other women without bedding or privacy, in a cell normally used only during incarceration intake procedures. “There was only one toilet, and it was covered in feces,” she said. “We begged the officers to let us clean it, but they just said sarcastically, ‘Housekeeping will come soon.’ No one ever came.”
In addition to demeaning and demoralizing treatment, detainees are also reportedly denied or delayed access to needed medical care, including medication and specialist visits. The report suggests this neglect may be linked to at least two deaths in custody. Detainees seeking mental health support allegedly faced isolation in solitary confinement as punishment.
The HRW report validates the allegations made in the March videos posted on social media by migrants detained in Krome for weeks.
Translation: “Please, share this video. This isn’t a joke. We are in a situation that is serious and worrisome. We have been kidnapped. There are people here who are sick, and they don’t give us medical attention. We know we are risking a lot, me by showing my face. Please. Share this on social media. This isn’t a joke, and this isn’t just some story. We don’t want likes or views. We want people to help us. Right now, there are 1,300 of us in this ICE detention center. Please help us.”
The report also highlights how policies impede detainees' ability to communicate with families and lawyers, disrupt legal representation, and worsen mental health issues. HRW specifies that conditions in the three facilities violate ICE standards and international human rights laws, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and the Mandela Rules, also known as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, ensuring humane treatment and conditions.
“To address the abuses documented in this report, Human Rights Watch calls on the United States government to end the use of 287(g) agreements that entwine local law enforcement and immigration enforcement and, in doing so, erode community trust and public safety.”
The report suggests a system prioritizing punishment and deterrence over humanitarian and legal obligations and calls for reforms such as community-based alternatives to detention, timely medical care, protecting access to legal counsel, independent oversight, and trauma-informed care.
The report also recommends the U.S. government end all 287(g) agreements, detain only as a last resort, improve medical and mental healthcare, and ensure independent oversight to investigate abuses.
Arturo is an independent journalist whose work can be found at Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, Latino Rebels, and more. Arturo is also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support his work, become a paid subscriber or donate via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.
America claims to be a bastion of freedom but is treating people in this shameful way. It's breaching human rights violations by its own State Department definition in the link below. Everything about this regime is disgusting and abhorrent.
https://hrgshr.state.gov/en/info