POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Officials and detainees of Florida’s immigration centers are decrying the institutions for ‘degrading and dehumanizing’ conditions, citing overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and abuse.
In a 92-page report, released by Americans for Immigrant Justice, Human Rights Watch, and Sanctuary of the South, victims and their families say detainees face widespread mistreatment at the Krome North Service Processing Center, Broward Transitional Center, and the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
“You’re looking at a system that is replete with abusive practices,” said Belkis Wille, Associate Director of Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division. “This is not about lack of resources. This is not about disorganization. This is much more abuses by design.”
The report, authored by Willie, finds reports of medical neglect from detainees with diabetes, HIV, asthma, and more.
Activists said detainees have been denied essential medications and doctor visits.
Two men, detained at Krome, said they were denied HIV treatment while inside the facility. Another man had to wait 13 days to receive his HIV medication.
Another man at the facility said he collapsed after suffering from a strangulated hernia after being denied care. He also described watching officers hogtie and beat detainees.
Krome has faced its share of controversy since President Trump’s inauguration. The detention facility has been accused of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.
According to the report, “By March, the number of people in immigration detention at Krome had increased 249% from the levels before the January inauguration. At times in March, the facility detained more than three times its operational capacity of inmates.”
The report reveals the case of a 44-year-old Ukrainian national, Maksym Chernyak, who came to the U.S. via humanitarian parole. He was detained by ICE and taken to Krome in February. Since then, his wife said he grew gravely ill and was denied medical care. Days later, he was hospitalized.
According to Willie, “Tarasiuk (the man’s wife) rushed to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where an ICE officer told her he had been admitted, but she was denied visitation. On February 20, ICE told Chernyak’s lawyer that he had died.”
At other centers, calls for help, including for mental health support, were met with retaliation. At the Broward Transitional Center, they say detainees requesting assistance were placed into solitary confinement.
One woman said she witnessed the death of 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise in the facility after guards ignored their cries for help.
A man said he collapsed after being transferred from the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami to the Broward Transitional Center without his required daily medication.
“Because of this mass medical neglect, there are at least two instances where we believe this may have led to the death of individuals,” said Willie.
The revelations in the report comes almost one month after the construction of Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s newest detention facility built in the Everglades, less than 50 miles from President Trump’s resort in Miami.
The facility has faced backlash from both local and state officials who call for its shutdown. Democratic lawmakers had filed a suit earlier this month, alleging an overstepping of authority by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration after they were denied access.
The report’s authors urge swift actions, including shifting toward humane alternatives to detention, terminating ICE agreements with local police departments, ensuring independent oversight and restoring legal protections to detainees.
“I think it’s so important to make sure we don’t allow this administration to misrepresent the people being detained right now,” said Willie.
Activists hope that the report sparks dialogue and possible change at the detention centers.
In response to the report, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said they take their duty to have safe and humane facilities seriously and they do their best to protect all those entrusted in their custody.
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