Miami ICE Facility Accused of Forcing Migrants to Kneel While Eating

A coalition of human rights organisations has released a damning report this week, alleging widespread abuse and degrading conditions within three federal immigration detention centres in South Florida. 

The report, compiled by Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South, has triggered renewed scrutiny of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) oversight and treatment of detainees. The findings, based on interviews with numerous former detainees, detail instances of systemic neglect, overcrowding, and mistreatment across the downtown Miami federal detention centre, the Krome North Service Processing Centre, and the Broward Transitional Centre in Pompano Beach. 

These allegations range from routine humiliation and denial of basic necessities to inadequate medical care. One particularly disturbing account from the Miami facility describes migrants being shackled with their hands behind their backs and forced to kneel to eat from styrofoam plates placed on chairs. One detainee, identified as Pedro, recounted this experience as being forced to “eat like animals”. The report asserts that such treatment is not an isolated occurrence.

At Krome North, female detainees were allegedly forced to use toilets in full view of male detainees and were denied access to gender-appropriate hygiene products and healthcare. The centre, reportedly operating beyond its intended capacity, has allegedly held new arrivals on buses for over 24 hours. One detainee described the conditions as "disgusting," noting that a single toilet quickly became unusable, leading to a pervasive stench of human waste inside the vehicle.

Once inside, detainees are often confined to an intake room referred to as "la hielera" – the ice box – due to its frigid temperatures. Without bedding or warm clothing, individuals reportedly sleep on concrete floors for days. The overcrowding is allegedly so severe that visitation rooms have been repurposed to house detainees, with some having no space to sit.

The Broward Transitional Centre is under scrutiny following the death of a Haitian woman in April. Detainees have consistently reported denial of necessary medical and psychological care. The report details delayed treatment for chronic conditions and injuries, coupled with dismissive and, at times, hostile responses from staff. In one reported incident, a protest over the lack of medical attention for a detainee coughing up blood allegedly led to a violent crackdown. 

A surveillance camera was reportedly turned off before a "disturbance control team" entered, resulting in injuries including a broken finger. The reported scale of overcrowding and neglect has prompted Florida officials to accelerate the construction of a new detention facility in the Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." This facility is expected to house up to 5,000 undocumented migrants. Critics contend that this expansion reflects a broader shift towards more punitive immigration enforcement policies, significantly increasing detention rates.

Nationwide, the average daily number of individuals held in immigration detention has risen to 56,400 by mid-June. Notably, approximately three-quarters of these detainees have no criminal history, marking a sharp increase from the 2024 daily average of 37,500. Katie Blankenship, immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, condemned the approach, saying: “The rapid, chaotic, and cruel approach to arresting and locking people up is literally deadly and causing a human rights crisis that will plague this state and the entire country for years to come.”

The report emphasises the urgent need for increased oversight, reform, and accountability within the federal immigration detention system.