No bed, sleep, or basic hygieneFlorida
People held without a bed, sleep, or basic hygiene in Florida
Stories from Florida describe people held without beds or sleep in crowded cells, including at the Everglades "Alligator Alcatraz" site, Miramar's ICE field office, and Baker County Detention Center. Detainees report denied hygiene, moldy food, non-functioning toilets, and days-long waits without medical care. First documented in February 2025 and recurring monthly since, the pattern peaked in July 2025 and now makes up a smaller share of recent reported cases, with outcomes including releases, deportations, and one death.
Recurring since Feb 2025. A smaller share of recent stories than at its peak.
Share of each month's well-documented stories, Jan 2025 to Oct 2026. Volume is not shown: coverage grew over the record, shares did not have to.
22 stories in 1 state. What accompanies this practice →
“If a president decided to let us enter and then another president decided we can’t, then I have to go. But I believe this is a violation of my rights.”
Florida
Claudia R.C.: Venezuelan soccer captain held 17 days by ICEClaudia Rodríguez Caglianone, a former St. Thomas University soccer captain with a pending asylum case, was held at crowded ICE facilities for over two weeks, losing 15 pounds before release.Fort Lauderdale, FL · Sep 30, 2026 · CBS News, Latin Times, Miami Herald +4
Raúl S.H.: Cuban man says he was locked in phone-booth-sized cage at Alligator AlcatrazRaúl Suárez Herrero, 59, a former truck driver who lived in the U.S. nearly five decades, says he was caged for 15 hours at 'Alligator Alcatraz' and later deported to Mexico.Ochopee, FL · Sep 18, 2026 · The Bold News, Cuba Headlines, Phoenix Q +2
Claudia R.: Venezuelan TPS holder detained by ICE, lost 15 pounds in overcrowded cellClaudia Rodríguez, 29, a Venezuelan immigrant with a business master's degree, was detained trying to board a flight and held in an overcrowded cell before a congresswoman helped secure her release.Pompano Beach, FL · Aug 3, 2026 · Telemundo, NBC Miami, Miami Herald +3
Yajaira: Honduran mother returned to overcrowded Miramar ICE cell with IV in armYajaira, a 37-year-old Honduran mother of two with a valid work permit, was held five days in an overcrowded Miramar cell, suffered an anxiety attack, and is now detained in Spokane, Washington.Florida Keys, FL · Jul 20, 2026 · Reason, IFTTT, Family Stations Network +1
Asylum seeker held three days at ICE office with barely any waterA 36-year-old man checking in for a routine asylum appointment he had kept for five years was held three days in an overcrowded room with about 70 others and little food or water.Miramar, FL · Jun 28, 2026 · El País, U.S. House of Representatives- Roger F.O.: 19-year-old asylum seeker held with 50 men on ICE facility floorRoger Moisés Flores Oviedo, 19, a construction worker with a pending asylum case, was detained leaving a gas station and held days in a crowded facility before being moved to Krome.Pompano Beach, FL · Jun 22, 2026 · El País
Medical emergencies surge at Miramar ICE detention siteDetainees held at the Miramar ICE field office, now used for multi-day detention, report being denied medications and basic hygiene as medical emergency calls there have sharply increased.Miramar, FL · Jun 8, 2026 · Miami Herald, WLRN, America's Voice +1- Angel L.L.: Salvadoran asylum seeker beaten by ICE, held in solitary, deported to MexicoAngel Lemus-Linares, 32, a Salvadoran asylum seeker, was beaten and held in solitary confinement for seven days without adequate medical care at a Texas detention center. He was later deported after his asylum claim was denied.Everglades, FL · May 18, 2026 · The Nation, The Independent, The Prospect +2
Gabriela L.S.: Venezuelan wife of U.S. citizen held six months by ICE without bond hearingGabriela Lozano Sousa, a Venezuelan woman married to a U.S. citizen, was held six months without a bond hearing after a domestic-dispute call. A judge dismissed her case and she was released, though her status remains uncertain.Jacksonville, FL · Apr 20, 2026 · First Coast News, Substack, Yahoo News +6
Women detained in Baker County, Florida describe moldy food and insulation mattressesWomen held at Baker County Detention Center in Florida described moldy food, broken clothing, and insulation used as bedding. One said she was moved through more than 30 facilities in a month and often slept on floors.Baker County, FL · Mar 21, 2026 · The Nerd Stash, The Independent Florida Alligator
Haitians deported from U.S. describe being left stranded, broke, and missing belongingsSeveral Haitian deportees described arriving home broke and missing belongings, including Natacha Antoine, 42, a former nurse's aide from Indianapolis whose $600 passport was never returned. A report found over 470 deported to Haiti since July.“I did more for the United States than the United States did for me,” — Natacha AntoineOrlando, FL · Oct 1, 2025 · HCN Times, NewsWav
Detainees report fecal flooding and maggots in food at Florida's Alligator AlcatrazDetainees at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz reported non-functioning toilets, contaminated food, and denied medical care; one was hospitalized by ambulance on July 7. Over 250 held there have no criminal convictions or charges.Everglades, FL · Aug 7, 2025 · Washington Post, CBS News, Associated Press +2
Hundreds held in cages without sunlight at Alligator Alcatraz, ex-officer saysA former corrections officer who worked about a week at Alligator Alcatraz described hundreds held in cages with no sunlight, backed-up toilets, and mosquito infestations. She was later fired and says she was never paid.Florida, FL · Aug 6, 2025 · NBC News, Florida Immigrant, NBC Miami +1
Carlos G. and Óscar Alejandro G.: Two Mexican brothers held about 20 days at Alligator Alcatraz without chargesBrothers Carlos Martín and Óscar Alejandro Gonzalez were detained after a traffic stop in Orlando and held nearly 20 days at a Florida detention facility without case numbers or a lawyer. They were released uncharged and returned to Mexico.Orlando, FL · Jul 30, 2025 · Los Angeles Times, El Universal, UnoTV +4
Detainees at three Florida immigration centers denied insulin and inhalersA Human Rights Watch report found detainees at three Florida facilities denied insulin and inhalers, forced to sleep on concrete floors, and facing excessive force; substandard care was linked to two deaths.Miami, FL · Jul 21, 2025 · Human Rights Watch, ACLU Florida, Amnesty USA +2
Detainees kept in cages in extreme heat at Everglades facility, lawmakers reportNearly 1,000 detainees are held at a newly built Everglades facility, with lawmakers reporting cages, extreme heat and poor sanitation, while officials called conditions clean and functional.Ochopee, FL · Jul 13, 2025 · Associated Press, WLRN, U.S. House of Representatives - Soto Office +4
Lee S.: Irish hairstylist with work permit deported by ICE, piercings removed without consentLee Stinton, a 45-year-old Irish hairstylist living in Key West since 2018, was detained after a traffic stop and held in overcrowded conditions before being deported to Northern Ireland.Key West, FL · Jul 12, 2025 · Keys Weekly, Newsweek, Belfast Telegraph +3
Immigrants held in Florida Everglades report lack of water, denied medicineDetainees from Cuba and Colombia at a Florida Everglades facility reported no water, electricity problems, inadequate food, mosquitoes, and being denied bathrooms, showers, medicine, and lawyers; state officials deny the claims.Ochopee, FL · Jul 9, 2025 · NBC News, CBS News, Associated Press +1
Krome detainees sleep on floors, buses, near toilets amid worst US overcrowdingDetainees at Krome North slept on floor mattresses, buses and near toilets as the facility held nearly three times its capacity, with over half having no criminal record as of June 2025.Miami, FL · March 2025 · Associated Press, Human Rights Watch, WPTV +3- Harpinder C.: British entrepreneur on valid visa hospitalized after ICE denied him insulinHarpinder Singh Chauhan, a 56-year-old British entrepreneur and father of two on a valid visa, had his insulin and inhaler confiscated in detention and collapsed in April with cardiac symptoms before being deported to the UK in June.Florida, FL · Feb 11, 2025 · Human Rights Watch, Economic Times, HuffPost
Women held by ICE at male-only Krome facility denied care, three hospitalizedWomen held at the male-only Krome facility were crammed into a cell with one exposed toilet and denied showers and medications, with three requiring hospitalization before receiving care.Miami, FL · February 2025 · Human Rights Watch- Andrea: Postpartum green card holder held by ICE, separated from her infantAndrea, 31, a Green Card holder from Argentina who had lived in the U.S. since age three, was detained after calling police during a domestic dispute just months after giving birth, separating her from her infant.Orlando, FL · Feb 1, 2025 · Human Rights Watch, Economic Times, HuffPost