Krome Detention Center in West Miami-Dade PHOTO COURTESY OF X.COM

By David L. Snelling

Miami – Protests have erupted outside the Krome Detention Center in West Miami-Dade, where illegal immigrants are being detained and reportedly living in inhumane and other deplorable conditions.

South Florida congressional leaders blasted the Department of Homeland Security for shutting down key watchdog agencies for the facility amid reports of overcrowding and civil rights violations of immigrant detainees.

The disturbing reports prompted an urgent request by U.S. Reps. Fredrica Wilson, (D-Miami) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Weston) to tour Krome Detention Center to examine the facility and call for congressional oversight for the facility.

Wilson, who led a congressional Delegation visit to Krome in 2019, fired off a missive to Homeland Department of Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressing her concerns over the treatment of immigrant detainees.

“I have heard directly from immigration lawyers about the unacceptable conditions at Krome, including reports of individuals sleeping on the concrete floor, detainees being deprived of adequate food, and female detainees being held in a facility designated for men,” Wilson said in her letter. These alarming accounts illustrate the urgent need for me to exercise my duty of congressional oversight and intervention. As an elected representative, I have a fundamental duty to exercise my oversight authority under Article 1 of the Constitution. This authority allows Congress to access federal facilities to verify compliance with federal laws and policies.”

Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava also wrote Noem a letter requesting to tour Krome amid the disturbing reports.

“I’m deeply worried about reports of overcrowding and dangerous conditions at the federal Krome Processing Center,” she said. “We must keep our communities safe while also acting with compassion and human concern.”

Detaining undocumented immigrants at Krome is part of President Trump’s massive illegal immigration crackdown operation.

But Congressional leaders said the reports of the living conditions are unconstitutional and deserve immediate action.

Democratic Congressional leaders also criticized Homeland Security’s move to close key agency watchdogs for Krome and other detention centers.

Wasserman Schultz spearheaded the letter which was endorsed by Wilson, Florida U.S Reps. Darren Soto, Maxwell Frost, Kathy Castor and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Miramar), just to name a few.

In the letter to Noem, 49 members of the House said the “closure of these offices raises serious questions about DHS’s transparency and compliance with the law.”

According to the letter, Homeland Security closed oversight offices on March 21 including the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The offices investigated alleged human rights violations in immigration detention centers, but the offices were shut down as part of DHS cutting jobs in the oversight agencies.

In addition, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told NPR that shutting down the offices was due to immigration enforcement obstruction, adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining the task.

“They often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations,” she said.