The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun the construction of a "tent city" at the Krome Detention Center, located in the southwest of Miami-Dade County, Florida, due to the alarming overcrowding of detainees that the facility is facing.
The Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who made an official inspection of the center this week, confirmed the overcrowding and pointed out that ICE authorities are installing temporary structures, including prefabricated modules with air conditioning, to accommodate recently detained migrants, as reported by El Nuevo Herald.
Wilson described the observed conditions as “alarming” and expressed doubts about the authenticity of the presentation made during his visit. "I know what they do. I will have to return unannounced to see what really happens in there," he stated.
The Krome Center, located on the outskirts of the Everglades, was originally designed to accommodate 600 people. However, it currently holds nearly 1,700 detainees, almost three times its capacity. The overcrowding has raised fears of internal uprisings and serious safety concerns among both federal employees and the migrants themselves, according to a report from Los Ángeles Times.
Reports of inhumane conditions have surged in recent weeks, with migrants citing lack of access to clean drinking water and adequate food, systematic medical neglect, unsanitary confinement, and extreme overcrowding.
Last March, Octavio Pérez Rodríguez, a 36-year-old Cuban detained at Krome, . "I am dying, I have pain... You can't imagine what I'm going through," he said and requested to be deported to Cuba.
Meanwhile, the death of a Ukrainian immigrant, Maksym Chernyak, due to inadequate medical care, has intensified the criticism of the center's administration.
Leaked videos show detainees sleeping on the floor, without access to showers or regular phone calls, and subsisting solely on peanut butter sandwiches. "We are practically kidnapped," reported one of the migrants.
A national pattern of crises in detention centers
According to information published in Los Angeles Times, the crisis at Krome is not an isolated case. Nationwide, the detention of migrants in ICE centers surged to nearly 48,000 by March, a 21% increase compared to the end of the Joe Biden administration. However, the mass deportations promoted under the new Donald Trump administration have faced multiple lawsuits that slow down the processes.
In an effort to expand its capacity, ICE issued a request for proposals to operate new detention centers with a budget of up to $45 billion, aiming to reach 100,000 available beds, well above the current 41,000. The plan controversially includes the possibility of using U.S. military bases to detain migrants, challenging historical restrictions.
Meanwhile, the closure of three offices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating abuses in detention centers, further worsens the lack of oversight regarding the conditions of detained migrants.
Human rights organizations, families of the detained, and members of the migrant community are demanding immediate measures to ensure dignified treatment and humanitarian conditions in Krome and other detention centers.
So far, ICE has not provided detailed information about the exact number of stores that will be set up or the additional capacity they aim to achieve. The situation continues to evolve in a context of increasing social and political pressure.
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