Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez is set to visit a detention center in Miami following reports of harsh conditions and police violence to migrants detained there.
"I will be investigating those conditions," said Gimenez when asked about a report by the Miami Herald detailing the situation at the Federal Detention Center in the city. "If I find something that is wrong, or shouldn't be, I'll be the first to come out and say, 'by the way I found something, this is what's going on,'" he added.
The report in question quoted six detainees who told the outlet that officers launched crowd-control grenades and shot what looked either rubber bullets into a room with about 50 people in April.
The incident took place after detainees staged a protest over lack of water, food and medication. They also described broken toilets and air conditioning, as well as out-of-service elevators, day-long lockdowns and lack of outdoor space. They claimed to begin overflowing toilets to draw attention to their demands before officers responded. Detainees were then transferred back to an ICE detention center but at least two filed lawsuits over the issue. 30 others signed it, saying there when it happened.
It is not clear when the lawmaker will tour the facility, but the Herald said it is in the process of being scheduled. Gimenez is also set to tour Krome North Service Processing Center, which has also been accused of inhumane conditions.
In fact, earlier this month tensions escalated when a group of Cuban detainees staged a protest in the facility's recreational yard to oppose deportation to third countries including Libya, El Salvador and South Sudan. Dozens of detainees formed a large "SOS" sign, which was captured from the air by local media outlets.
Speaking by phone from inside the facility, one Cuban detainee told reporters that the protest stemmed from fear of being transferred to other detention centers — or, in some cases, deported to dangerous countries. Another detainee said the group was preparing to begin a hunger strike.
"It's an injustice," one protester told the Miami Herald. "We don't want to be moved to another prison."
Located 22 miles west of downtown Miami, Krome has been the subject of national scrutiny in recent months over reports of unsafe conditions and severe overcrowding.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data released May 12, about 800 people were detained at the facility. However, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who toured Krome on May 29, said the number was closer to 1,100, with tents built to control the overflow.
Earlier this year, two deaths were reported at the facility. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office ruled both deaths "natural," but a Miami Herald investigation raised concerns about medical care provided at the facility.
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