Family members of detainees being held at Krome Detention Center are speaking out about the alleged harsh conditions of the facility. NBC6’s Sophia Hernandez reports
Family members of detainees being held at Krome Detention Center are speaking out about the alleged harsh conditions of the facility.
Family members of detainees being held at Krome Detention Center are speaking out about the alleged harsh conditions of the facility.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREA video that has since gone viral shows people sleeping on the floor, and a man pleads for help, explaining there is little to no food at Krome.
The video caught the eye of Maria Bilbao with the American Friends Service Committee, who spoke to that man over the phone this week.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
“Osiris was deported to Mexico. He was detained in Krome for several days with no water, sleeping outside,” she said.
Marlene Amador Costafreda's fiance was released from the Tampa Correctional Facility. After violating his probation for previous arrests, he was then put on a bus and taken to Krome Detention Center.
“I honestly know he has to serve whatever he did, I am not that ignorant, but not that treatment that they are getting, not only him," she said. "They are being treated like dogs. There’s no AC, everybody is sick, God knows what they have, there’s no medical attention, much less give them privileges to a bathroom.”
Local
In February, Telemundo 51 reported on a Ukrainian man who died in the hospital after allegedly falling ill at Krome and not receiving adequate care.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that while they can’t “provide population numbers due to operational and security concerns, some ICE facilities are experiencing temporary overcrowding due to recent increases in detention populations. We are actively implementing measures to manage capacity while maintaining compliance with federal standards and our commitment to humane treatment.”
To alleviate overcrowding concerns, ICE said they are transferring detainees to other facilities with available space, expediting case processing and working with local and state partners.
Those with family inside just hope conditions get better.
“They don’t answer any questions, so we don’t know where he stands at this point. Thank God he was able to call me, at least I know he was alive last night," Costafreda said.
