The number of people held in U.S. immigration detention has reached historic highs, and a new report raises urgent concerns about how detainees are being treated in Florida facilities. Immigrants held in three Florida detention facilities have faced overcrowded cells, delayed medical care and what advocates describe as degrading or dangerous conditions, according to a new report released Monday by three human rights organizations.
“If you ask for help, they isolate you. If you cry, they might take you away for two weeks. So, people stay silent,” one woman said in the report.
Report details inhumane conditions in Florida detention center
The 92-page report, based on interviews with 17 people detained since January 2025, details conditions at three federal detention sites. The findings, published by Americans for Immigrant Justice, Human Rights Watch and Sanctuary of the South, allege a pattern of neglect and mistreatment across the facilities.
“We had to bend over and eat off the chairs with our mouths, like dogs,” one man said while having their hands shackled behind their backs.
Detention numbers have reached record levels since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to the report. The increase is tied to a wave of executive actions and his pledge to expand immigration enforcement, including a directive to hold individuals during removal proceedings “to the extent permitted by law.”
By mid-June 2025, more than 56,000 people were held in detention across the country on any given day. That’s a 40% increase from 2024. Nearly 72% of those individuals had no criminal history. While President Trump and his administration initially said enforcement would target violent criminal offenders, their current approach has expanded to include nearly anyone in the U.S. without legal status.
Florida has seen a major share of the rise. Between January and June, thousands of people were held at three key sites: Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach and the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami.
According to the findings, detainees reported being shackled for hours on transport buses without food, water, or access to a working toilet. Others described sleeping on cold floors under bright fluorescent lights in overcrowded cells, sometimes without basic hygiene supplies or timely medical care.
“They turned up the air conditioning… You could not fall asleep because it was so cold. I thought I was going to experience hypothermia,” one detainee recalled.
At Krome, the detained population surged 249% between January and March, far beyond the facility’s operational limits. Reports from the other two centers pointed to similar strains. Across the board, researchers found repeated accounts of degrading treatment, lack of medical follow-up and low-quality food.
Transfers without notice, limited phone access, and prolonged isolation made it harder for people to contact family or lawyers, directly impacting their ability to prepare immigration cases and worsening stress and mental health issues.
Federal law and change in protections
The report highlights recent federal actions that roll back immigration protections. In January 2025, the U.S. government enacted the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged or convicted of certain crimes. The list includes a wide range of offenses, including nonviolent ones such as shoplifting.
According to the report, the law is part of a broader effort to restrict immigration programs and protections. Those include ending Temporary Protected Status for several countries, expanding expedited removal, and limiting access to asylum and refugee programs.
Local law enforcement agreements with ICE
Florida leads the nation in local law enforcement partnerships with federal immigration authorities. As of mid-2025, 223 agencies in the state have signed 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These partnerships, authorized under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allow local officers to assist with identifying, detaining and facilitating the deportation of undocumented migrants who come into police custody.
Researchers urge an end to these agreements, arguing they blur the lines between local policing and immigration enforcement, undermining community trust and public safety. Combined with strict state-level immigration laws and broad federal detention policies, the report says these agreements have contributed to a sharp rise in immigration-related arrests across Florida. More than 76% of the state’s law enforcement agencies are enrolled in the program.
