United States, Mar 24 (V7N) – Immigrant women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have shared harrowing accounts of their treatment in custody, describing conditions they say were so extreme they feared for their lives. The women, who were held at the Krome North Processing Center in Miami, reported being chained for hours on a prison bus without access to food, water, or a toilet, and forced to urinate on the floor. Once they arrived at the detention center, they were placed in overcrowded cells, some housing as many as 27 women. They described sleeping on concrete floors and having limited access to showers, with some only allowed a three-minute shower every three to four days.
 
The women, who shared their experiences with USA TODAY on condition of anonymity, stated that they were treated "like animals" and felt they were being held under cruel, degrading conditions. The incidents took place at Krome, which has previously been flagged for its overcrowded and understaffed conditions. These allegations come after the deaths of two men in ICE custody at Krome earlier this year, drawing further scrutiny to the center’s operations.
 
Krome, one of 130 ICE detention centers across the country, has been criticized for its inability to meet detention standards. The women’s accounts have raised concerns about the overall treatment of detainees at facilities like Krome, which is privately operated by Akima Infrastructure Protection. Reports from ICE’s own investigators and external inspections have revealed ongoing issues at various detention centers, including failure to meet health, safety, and sanitation standards.
 
The women involved in this case were detained for alleged immigration violations, though none have criminal backgrounds. Despite ICE’s policy that detention should be "non-punitive," their experiences suggest that the conditions at Krome are anything but humane. The women’s stories, which were shared with USA TODAY through phone interviews and written accounts, are part of a broader pattern of abuse and neglect at ICE facilities.
 
The source for this information is USA TODAY.
 
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