Shocking Report: Miami ICE Detainees Forced to Kneel Like Dogs for Meals

Migrants at a Miami immigration detention center are facing harsh conditions, according to a recent report. Inmates described being shackled and forced to kneel while eating from styrofoam plates, likening their treatment to that of animals.

The report from advocacy groups like Human Rights Watch and Americans for Immigrant Justice highlights ongoing issues at three overcrowded facilities in South Florida. Detainees reported being cramped in holding cells for hours, often without food until late in the day. One detainee, Pedro, shared that they had to eat “like animals.”

At the Krome North processing center, conditions were especially troubling. Female detainees had to use toilets with full visibility from men, and many lacked access to proper care and basic needs like showers and food. Reports indicated that some detainees spent over 24 hours on a bus parked outside due to overcrowding. It became so unpleasant that it was described as “disgusting” because of unsanitary conditions.

Waiting in cramped quarters, many were stuck in a freezing intake room for days, lacking proper bedding. Andrea, another former detainee, noted that the visitation rooms were so full that many men had to stand without seats.

At the Broward Transitional Center, where 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise recently died, inmates said they often received inadequate medical care. Some reported delays in treatment for serious conditions, compounding their suffering.

An alarming incident at a downtown Miami facility involved staff disabling a surveillance camera while a team violently confronted detainees protesting a lack of medical attention for a fellow inmate. One individual reportedly suffered injuries, including a broken finger.

These overcrowded conditions come as Florida has plans for a new facility called “Alligator Alcatraz,” designed to hold up to 5,000 migrants awaiting deportation. Nationally, immigration detention averages about 56,400 every day, with nearly 72% lacking a criminal history.

According to Human Rights Watch, conditions at these facilities have significantly declined since the start of the Trump administration’s increased focus on detentions and deportations. Katie Blankenship, an immigration lawyer, stated that such policies create a climate of terror within immigrant communities, particularly in Florida, which relies heavily on its immigrant population.

This ongoing crisis raises urgent questions about human rights and the treatment of vulnerable populations in the U.S. Recent expert opinions reflect deep concern about the long-term impacts of current immigration policies, suggesting that the situation is likely to have lasting effects on migrants and their families.

For more detailed insights into this issue, you can check the Human Rights Watch report here.

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