Alarming Conditions at Florida Detention Centers

A recent report titled “You Feel Like Your Life is Over: Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centres Since January 2025” has brought to light the degrading treatment faced by undocumented migrants at several U.S. immigration facilities. The report highlights the overcrowded conditions and abusive practices at three detention centers in South Florida, raising serious concerns about human rights violations.

Dehumanizing Treatment of Detainees

The report details shocking incidents, such as migrants being shackled with their hands tied behind their backs, forced to kneel, and eat from Styrofoam plates “like dogs.” At a Miami immigration jail, dozens of men were confined in cells for hours without food until late in the evening, remaining shackled with meals placed on chairs before them. A detainee named Pedro described the experience as being forced to “eat like animals.”

Lack of Privacy and Basic Amenities for Women

At the Krome North Service Processing Center in West Miami, female detainees faced additional indignities. They were compelled to use toilets in full view of male detainees and were denied access to gender-appropriate medical care, showers, or adequate food. The overcrowding was so severe that detainees were held on a bus in a parking lot for over 24 hours, with men and women cramped together and only unshackled when using the single toilet. The situation deteriorated as the toilet became clogged, leading to unsanitary conditions.

Inadequate Medical Care and Tragic Consequences

The report also highlights delays in medical and psychological care for detainees. At the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, a 44-year-old Haitian woman named Marie Ange Blaise tragically died due to lack of necessary medical attention. Witnesses reported that despite her apparent distress, guards were slow to respond, and medical help arrived too late.

Overcrowding and Rapid Expansion of Facilities

The “Alligator Alcatraz” jail in the Everglades was rapidly constructed to accommodate up to 5,000 undocumented migrants as existing facilities struggled with severe overcrowding. This expansion underscores the urgent need for reform in how immigration detention centers operate.