In a deeply troubling report released on Monday (21), Human Rights Watch has exposed abhorrent conditions within three overcrowded immigration detention centers in southern Florida. The centers in question are the Krome North Service Processing Center, the Broward Transitional Center (BTC), and the Federal Detention Center (FDC). According to the findings, detainees have been subjected to degrading treatment, including being forced to eat while kneeling, hands cuffed behind their backs, and leaning over chairs reminiscent of animals being fed.
The comprehensive report details a litany of abuses carried out by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and private security contractors. These abuses include extended periods of detainment in handcuffs, inadequate medical and psychological care, and confinement in frigid, barren cells under constant fluorescent lighting. Detainees have also reported being transported in buses without functioning restrooms, adequate food, or water.
Abuse
“We had to bend over and eat off the chairs with our mouths, like dogs,”
The centers are operating beyond their intended capacity, a situation exacerbated by the return of detainees to prison-like conditions even after medical emergencies. This lack of proper medical attention has reportedly contributed to at least two fatalities within these facilities. As of the latest data, the population within these centers has surged dramatically since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term. From January to June 2025, thousands endured conditions that blatantly violate international human rights standards and U.S. governmental regulations.
“The room smelled really bad, and men were lying down right next to the toilet—even as others did their business right next to their heads. It was disgusting.”
As reported by Human Rights Watch and confirmed by the Advocacy Institute for Justice (AIJ), there is a major lack basic sanitation, with rooms having no access to showers and only a single exposed toilet.
Medical negligence has been a severe issue, with the report highlighting critical lapses in healthcare provision. Individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, and chronic pain were frequently denied necessary medications and medical consultations. One detainee, suffering from chronic conditions, was transferred without his essential daily medications and later found himself in a hospital under an alias following a fainting episode. Upon release from the hospital, he was returned to the detention center in handcuffs.
Another harrowing account describes a detainee coughing up blood in an overcrowded cell, only to be ignored for hours. When fellow detainees protested, it led to a brutal response from a riot control team, which turned off cameras and physically assaulted them. Psychological support was also grossly inadequate, with reports suggesting that seeking mental health assistance could result in punishment. At BTC, individuals expressing emotional distress were placed in solitary confinement for weeks, as one woman poignantly stated, “If you ask for help, they isolate you. If you cry, they can take you away for two weeks. So, people remain silent.”
The resultant climate is one of pervasive fear among the immigrant community. Many immigrants, some of whom have not been convicted of any crimes, are now avoiding contact with police, medical services, places of worship, and schools. This avoidance profoundly impacts their lives and the lives of their families, painting a grim picture of civil liberties under siege.
It is policy
These conditions are a direct reflection of the hardening immigration policies under Trump’s second presidency, characterized by mass deportations and record overcrowding in detention centers. In Florida alone, 223 agreements between local authorities and ICE empower local police to participate directly in the detention and deportation of immigrants. This has led to a disproportionate number of agencies involved in such actions within the state.
The Human Rights Watch report is grounded in interviews with 11 current or recently released detainees, their family members, and immigration attorneys, alongside extensive data analysis. It is noted that both the Krome and BTC centers are operated under private contracts supervised by ICE. The population at Krome alone saw a staggering 249% increase in March compared to pre-Trump administration levels, reaching over three times the unit’s capacity. By June 20, the overall detainee population across the three centers had ballooned by 111% relative to pre-second term figures.
The report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform in immigration detention practices to ensure compliance with both U.S. laws and international human rights standards. The situation in southern Florida is not just a local issue but a stark reflection of systemic problems within the U.S. immigration detention system.
Source: Human Rights Watch
