Abusive Treatment of Undocumented Migrants
Undocumented migrants in US immigration facilities are facing degrading treatment, as revealed in a recent report. The report highlighted the conditions at three overcrowded immigration detention centers in south Florida.
Conditions at the Facilities
The report detailed that migrants were subjected to inhumane conditions. They were often found in shackles with their hands tied behind their backs and were made to kneel to eat from Styrofoam plates. Men were packed into cells for long hours, denied proper meals, and forced to eat in a degrading manner.
Female detainees at the Krome North service processing center were forced to use toilets in front of male detainees. They were also denied necessary medical care, showers, and sufficient food.
Overcrowding Issues
The jails were overcrowded beyond capacity, leading to drastic measures. Detainees were held in buses at parking lots for more than 24 hours, cramped together. They were only unshackled when they needed to use the single toilet, which soon became clogged, degrading the conditions further.
After being transferred to a different facility, the detainees endured harsh conditions, spending days in a cold room without proper amenities, forcing them to sleep on the floor.
Mismanagement and Tragedy
Detainees faced delays in receiving medical and psychological care for their injuries. Tragically, a Haitian woman named Marie Ange Blaise passed away in April due to negligence and lack of necessary care at the Broward transitional center.
Witnesses reported that guards ignored pleas for help when Blaise experienced a medical emergency, showing a severe lack of response and care within the facility.
Additionally, a hastily constructed facility in the Everglades, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” was created to accommodate the severe overcrowding of undocumented migrants.
These revelations shed light on the need for proper treatment and care of migrants within US immigration detention centers.
