A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) reveals disturbing treatment of migrants held in U.S. detention centers, spotlighting severe abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions. The 92-page report sharply criticizes the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, alleging that detainees are often subjected to degrading and unsafe conditions.
🔎 Key findings from the HRW report:
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Medical neglect & unsanitary conditions:
Detainees described going 20 days without soap or water, lacking access to essential medications like insulin and inhalers, and sleeping on bare concrete floors, often using shoes as pillows. -
Dehumanizing treatment:
In one account, shackled migrants being transferred were forced to kneel and eat from chairs with their mouths, hands bound behind their backs—“like dogs,” one detainee said. -
Overcrowding and exposure:
Some women were held in cells with exposed toilets visible to male detainees in neighboring areas. -
No criminal history:
According to HRW, nearly 72% of detainees as of mid-June had no criminal record, yet were kept in harsh confinement.
📍 Focus on Florida facilities:
The report centers on three detention sites in Florida, including a controversial new facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which President Trump visited in July. He reportedly joked that alligators would guard the perimeter, while touting the center’s severe conditions.
🗨️ From HRW:
“People in immigration detention are being treated as less than human,” said Belkis Wille, associate crisis and conflict director at HRW.
“The U.S. government is detaining many people who pose no threat to public safety in conditions that violate basic human rights and dignity.”
📈 Rapid rise in detentions:
The average daily number of migrant detainees has risen over 40% since June of last year. Despite growing public backlash and protests, U.S. lawmakers recently approved $45 billion for new immigration detention facilities.
The report—supported by Americans for Immigrant Justice and Sanctuary of the South—raises urgent questions about the U.S. government’s treatment of migrants, as it pursues what Trump has promised to be the largest deportation campaign in the nation’s history.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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