A new report has revealed that undocumented migrants are being treated very badly at three immigration detention centres in Florida, United States. The report talks about many cases of abuse, especially towards women, and describes in detail how people were kept in terrible conditions. It includes information about women being watched while using toilets, people forced to eat like animals, and even the death of a woman due to medical neglect.

The report is titled "'You Feel Like Your Life is Over': Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centres Since January 2025." It says that women were made to use toilets in front of men at the Krome North Service Processing Centre in West Miami. Even though this centre is meant only for men, women were kept there for several days without proper hygiene or privacy.

The women did not get proper medical care or enough food. They had no access to showers and were sometimes watched by male detainees. The report said, “Women were detained there for processing despite it being a male-only facility. They had no access to showers or privacy, and some were exposed to voyeurism by male detainees.”

The report also says that migrants were shackled, their hands tied behind their backs, and made to eat food from Styrofoam plates while kneeling down. One man said, "We had to bend over and eat off the chairs with our mouths, like dogs." This happened after they were made to wait for hours without being given food.

At another centre, dozens of men were kept in a small, crowded room for many hours. They did not receive any food until nearly 7 pm. When they were finally given food, they were still in shackles and had to eat without using their hands.

British-Indian man says officers mocked his surname

The report includes the story of Harpinder Singh Chauhan, a 56-year-old British entrepreneur who has lived in the US since 2016. He said he saw an older man being kicked. He also said he was mocked because of his surname.

During a roll call in late May at the Broward Transitional Centre (BTC), an officer reportedly made fun of him by calling him "Chihuahua." The report said this was a racially or ethnically charged taunt meant to make fun of him.

Held on bus for over 24 hours with clogged toilet

Because one of the centres was overcrowded, some migrants were kept on a bus for over 24 hours. The bus had only one toilet, which quickly became clogged. The toilet did not flush properly and was only meant for urinating. But since they were not allowed to leave the bus, people had to defecate in it too.

A detainee said, "The bus became disgusting. It contained a single toilet that did not really flush. It was the type of toilet in which normally people only urinate. But because we were on the bus for so long, and we were not permitted to leave it, others defecated in the toilet. Because of this, the whole bus smelt strongly of faeces."

Later, the same group was kept in a cold intake room known as "la hielera" (the icebox) for up to 12 days. They had no bedding or warm clothes and had to sleep on cold concrete floors.

Haitian woman dies after being ignored by guards

The report also tells the tragic story of Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old woman from Haiti. She was at the Broward Transitional Centre and died on April 25.

A detainee named Rosa said she heard screams and saw Blaise having what looked like a seizure. Rosa said, "We started yelling for help, but the guards ignored us. Finally, one officer approached slowly, looked at her without intervening, and then walked away. After that, it took eight minutes for the medical provider to arrive and then another 15 or 20 before the rescue team came. By then, she was not moving."

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