With the intensification of anti-immigrant raids in the US, conditions have worsened in detention centers housing foreigners awaiting deportation. There is meager food, not enough beds, deplorable hygiene, and a lack of medical care. "The US government is detaining many people who pose no threat to public safety in conditions that violate basic human rights and dignity," Human Rights Watch said in a July 21 report.

According to the humanitarian organization, 85 of the 181 detention centers used by the agencies under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with controlling immigration – including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – were overcrowded. On June 20, a record 56,000 people were detained, which is a 40% increase compared to June 2024. More than 70% of those detained had no criminal record.

The situation has been especially dire in Florida, where two deaths, according to the organization, may have been linked to a lack of medical care. At the Krome center in Miami-Dade County, 1,800 people compete for 611 beds. There is not enough space to move around, and detainees have reported constant humiliation. In June, they formed a human "SOS" in the yard, visible from the air, to draw attention to their plight.

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