Latest news with #inhumaneconditions
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Alligator Alcatraz is nothing more than ‘an oversized kennel' for migrants, ex-prison guard says
A former corrections officer who worked at the already-notorious 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center in Florida has come forward to warn about the 'inhumane' conditions in which detainees are being held at the facility. Identified only as Lindsey to protect herself and her family from harassment, NBC's Miami affiliate interviewed the officer and compared conditions at the camp to 'an oversized kennel,' describing its poor facilities and inmates, many of whom are not criminals, living in fear. She said that she had been hired by the security company GardaWorld Federal Services and agreed to be paid $26 an hour on a five days on, two days off basis, which required her to live in a shared trailer on site with other staff. Lindsey said she began working at the camp on July 6. Still, her employment lasted only a week because she contracted Covid-19, had to self-isolate, and was then fired after being accused of 'altering medical paperwork submitted to the company,' an allegation she denied. 'It's inhumane the way that they're keeping their residents,' she told NBC6 of her experiences. 'When I got there, it was overwhelming. I thought it would get better. But it just never did.' She said that each tent at the facility contained eight large cages, holding 35 to 38 inmates, meaning that each tent housed close to 300 people. Discussing the conditions in which the detainees were being held, she said: 'They have no sunlight. There's no clock in there. They don't even know what time of the day it is. 'They have no access to showers. They shower every other day or every four days. The bathrooms are backed up because you [have] got so many people using them.' Lindsey added that rainwater poured into the tents on stormy days and that everyone present found themselves in a 'constant battle' with mosquitoes due to the Everglades' close and humid climate. 'Not everybody there is a criminal,' she said. 'These people are still human. They pulled them from their livelihood. They're scared. They don't speak our language.' Lindsey said the harsh conditions were also rough on staff: 'We had to use the porta-johns. We didn't have hot water half the time. Our bathrooms were backed up.' Asked about her motivations for coming forward, she said: 'I was fired. And yeah, I'm p****d off. But more so than ever, like, they're doing wrong.' Responding to Lindsey's accusations, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent: 'Any allegations of 'highly inhumane conditions' at Alligator Alcatraz are FALSE. This is yet another attempt to smear ICE law enforcement who is already facing an 830 percent increase in assaults against them. 'Additionally, the facility is managed by the State of Florida through the Division of Emergency Management. Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.' The Independent also contacted GardaWorld and the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment. Supporters of President Donald Trump warmly greeted the Alligator Alcatraz project when it was announced in June, cheerily buying up merchandise and delighting at the idea that would-be escapees would not be able to get far due to the perilous swampland surrounding the disused airfield on which it was built. Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantistoured the facility last month and gave it their seal of approval. At the same time, other red states have toyed with opening their equivalent centers to support the president's ICE-led illegal immigration crackdown. Many detainees at the site have previously complained about the dire conditions, decrying the scarcity of food, lack of water for washing, and constant bright light depriving them of sleep.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Alligator Alcatraz is nothing more than ‘an oversized kennel' for migrants, ex-prison guard says
A former corrections officer who worked at the already-notorious 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center in Florida has come forward to warn about the 'inhumane' conditions in which detainees are being held at the facility. Identified only as Lindsey to protect herself and her family from harassment, NBC's Miami affiliate interviewed the officer and compared conditions at the camp to 'an oversized kennel,' describing its poor facilities and inmates, many of whom are not criminals, living in fear. She said that she had been hired by the security company GardaWorld Federal Services and agreed to be paid $26 an hour on a five days on, two days off basis, which required her to live in a shared trailer on site with other staff. Lindsey said she began working at the camp on July 6. Still, her employment lasted only a week because she contracted Covid-19, had to self-isolate, and was then fired after being accused of 'altering medical paperwork submitted to the company,' an allegation she denied. 'It's inhumane the way that they're keeping their residents,' she told NBC6 of her experiences. 'When I got there, it was overwhelming. I thought it would get better. But it just never did.' She said that each tent at the facility contained eight large cages, holding 35 to 38 inmates, meaning that each tent housed close to 300 people. Discussing the conditions in which the detainees were being held, she said: 'They have no sunlight. There's no clock in there. They don't even know what time of the day it is. 'They have no access to showers. They shower every other day or every four days. The bathrooms are backed up because you [have] got so many people using them.' Lindsey added that rainwater poured into the tents on stormy days and that everyone present found themselves in a 'constant battle' with mosquitoes due to the Everglades' close and humid climate. 'Not everybody there is a criminal,' she said. 'These people are still human. They pulled them from their livelihood. They're scared. They don't speak our language.' Lindsey said the harsh conditions were also rough on staff: 'We had to use the porta-johns. We didn't have hot water half the time. Our bathrooms were backed up.' Asked about her motivations for coming forward, she said: 'I was fired. And yeah, I'm p****d off. But more so than ever, like, they're doing wrong.' Responding to Lindsey's accusations, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent: 'Any allegations of 'highly inhumane conditions' at Alligator Alcatraz are FALSE. This is yet another attempt to smear ICE law enforcement who is already facing an 830 percent increase in assaults against them. 'Additionally, the facility is managed by the State of Florida through the Division of Emergency Management. Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.' The Independent also contacted GardaWorld and the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment. Supporters of President Donald Trump warmly greeted the Alligator Alcatraz project when it was announced in June, cheerily buying up merchandise and delighting at the idea that would-be escapees would not be able to get far due to the perilous swampland surrounding the disused airfield on which it was built. Many detainees at the site have previously complained about the dire conditions, decrying the scarcity of food, lack of water for washing, and constant bright light depriving them of sleep.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Horrific': report reveals abuse of pregnant women and children at US Ice facilities
A new report found hundreds of reported cases of human rights abuses in US immigration detention centers. The alleged abuses uncovered include deaths in custody, physical and sexual abuse of detainees, mistreatment of pregnant women and children, inadequate medical care, overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, inadequate food and water, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of access to attorneys, and child separation. The report, compiled by the office of US senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat representing Georgia, noted it found 510 credible reports of human rights abuses since 20 January 2025. His office team's investigation is active and ongoing, the office said, and has accused the Department of Homeland Security of obstructing congressional oversight of the federal agency, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). Ossoff said the government is limiting his team's access to visit more detention sites and interview detainees. Under the second Trump administration, a Guardian analysis found average daily immigration arrests in June 2025 were up 268% compared to June 2024, with the majority of people arrested having no criminal convictions. And US immigration detention facilities are estimated to be over capacity by more than 13,500 people. The problem is not new, as prior to Trump taking office again, US immigration detention centers faced allegations of inhumane conditions. But controversy has ramped up amid the current administration's widespread crackdown on immigration into and undocumented communities within the US, including people who have lived and worked in the US for years or came in more recently under various legal programs that Trump has moved to shut down. Among the reports cited in the new file from Ossoff's office, there are allegations of huge human rights abuses include 41 cases of physical and/or sexual abuse of detainees while in the custody of DHS, including reports of detainees facing retaliation for reporting abuses. Examples include at least four 911 emergency calls referencing sexual abuse at the South Texas Ice processing center since January. The report also cites 14 credible reports of pregnant women being mistreated in DHS custody, including a case of a pregnant woman being told to drink water in response to a request for medical attention, and another case where a partner of a woman in DHS custody reported the woman was pregnant and bled for days before DHS staff took her to a hospital, where she was left in a room alone to miscarry without water or medical assistance. The report cites 18 cases of children as young as two years old, including US citizens, facing mistreatment in DHS custody, including denying a 10-year-old US citizen recovering from brain surgery any follow-up medical attention and the detainment of a four-year-old who was receiving treatment for metastatic cancer and was reportedly deported without the ability to consult a doctor. The report from Ossoff's office was first reported by NBC News. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an email to NBC News in response to the report: 'any claim that there are subprime conditions at Ice detention centers are false.' She claimed all detainees in Ice custody receive 'proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members'. Meredyth Yoon, an immigration attorney and litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, told NBC News she met with the woman who miscarried, a 23-year-old Mexican national. 'The detainee who miscarried described to Yoon witnessing and experiencing 'horrific' and 'terrible conditions', the attorney said, including allegations of overcrowding, people forced to sleep on the floor, inadequate access to nutrition and medical care, as well as abusive treatment by the guards, lack of information about their case and limited ability to contact their loved ones and legal support,' NBC News reported. DHS denied the allegations. 'Regardless of our views on immigration policy, the American people do not support the abuse of detainees and prisoners … it's more important than ever to shine a light on what's happening behind bars and barbed wire, especially and most shockingly to children,' Ossoff said in a statement his office issued about the investigation.
CBS News
28-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland leaders to visit Baltimore ICE detention facility amid allegations of "inhumane conditions"
Several Maryland leaders are scheduled to visit the George H. Fallon Federal Building in Baltimore following allegations of inhumane conditions for detainees held there by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The group includes U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Reps. Glenn Ivey, Johnny Olzewski Jr., and Sarah Elfreth. ICE has previously denied the allegations, saying it "remains committed to enforcing immigration laws fairly, safely and humanely." The agency said it complies with federal law and agency policies, and it upholds the "well-being and dignity" of those in custody. A federal class-action lawsuit filed by the Amica Center and the National Immigration Project alleges that ICE "fails to meet basic human needs" for detainees and is violating its own standards at the Baltimore facility. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two Maryland women detained by ICE at the Fallon building, after a judge ruled to suspend their deportation. Attorneys argue the two women were held in "inhumane" holding rooms for prolonged periods - one for 60 hours, and the other for 48 hours, which they allege is in violation of ICE's own policy. Immigration advocacy groups and Maryland leaders have raised concerns about conditions inside the Fallon building. In March, the Amica Center and nonprofit CASA held a rally to highlight the experiences of those detained. One CASA member said his daughter had been held in the facility for several days. "They are forced to endure meals of insufficient food, barely any water, and most appallingly, people like my daughter are being denied their vital medications they need for their health and wellbeing," the CASA member said. In April, staffers for Van Hollen and Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks visited the building. Following the visit, the two senators wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons about the reported conditions that detainees faced while in holding cells. In their letter, the senators said they learned detainees were being held longer than allowed by ICE standards and that the facility could not meet basic needs. They also cited overcrowded holding cells without beds, inadequate food service, and said there was no on-site medical staff. ICE has previously responded to the claims about conditions at its Baltimore facility, explaining that the holding rooms at the location are not held to the same standards as detention facilities. "ICE Baltimore operates a holding room, not a detention facility, and therefore is not subject to the standards outlined in the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards," the agency said in a statement. The agency also said it complies with federal laws, and the ICE Health Service Corps is on site to provide medical services when needed. "In the event of a medical emergency, detainees are promptly transported to nearby hospitals to receive immediate and appropriate care," the agency said in a statement. "ICE remains dedicated to transparency and accountability in our operations."
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Florida nonprofits, doctors, families call for immediate shut down of Alligator Alcatraz
Several Florida nonprofits, medical professionals, public health experts and families impacted by the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in the Everglades are calling for it to be shut down due to what they are calling inhumane conditions and environmental damage. On Tuesday morning, they're holding a news conference outside the facility to outline the dangerous conditions. Flood-prone tents are used to house the detainees at the hastily constructed camp at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Detainees have said the cages where they are forced to sleep are crowded and the food is sub-standard. Some have said they've gone days without showering or getting prescription medicine, and at times the air conditioners for the tents would abruptly shut off in the sweltering heat. They've said their drinking water comes from toilet spigots and sometimes the toilets back up, spilling feces on the ground. "From the toilets and sink systems they use, which, if not cleaned regularly, can cause serious environmental contamination. We also understand there are temperature control issues in the cages. Sustained exposure to heat will not only help propagate germs and viruses but can also cause severe health issues up to cardiac arrest. This kind of treatment to human beings is not the American way," Tessa Petit, the co-executive director of the Florida Immigration Coalition, said in a statement. Armen Henderson, executive director at Dade County Street Response, said the conditions are a blatant assault on human rights. "By imprisoning innocent people in tents surrounded by fences and barbed wire, with no proper sanitation, it is nothing less than a concentration camp. This is a public health crisis unfolding in our own backyard," he said in a statement. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has said reports about the poor conditions at the camp are untrue and the facility meets all required standards and is in good working order. The state has estimated it will cost roughly $450 million a year to operate the detention facility. The Florida Immigrant Coalition and its partners are calling on the state to immediately evacuate the camp and close down the facility. They also want emergency health screenings and care for all current and recently released detainees. They are also demanding full legal access for detainees and independent inspections of conditions. Detainees have reportedly been denied legal counsel through standard processes.
