Rep. Carlos Gimenez tours ICE's Krome facility in Miami, pushes back on poor conditions claim
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez toured the Krome Detention Center this Monday as part of a congressional oversight visit to review conditions and operations at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in western Miami-Dade County.
The fact-finding mission is part of the congressman's role in overseeing federal homeland security operations. Gimenez, a Republican, represents parts of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. The former Miami-Dade County mayor also chairs the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
The visit came amid ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement and detention practices.
Carlos Gimenez: "Not the Ritz, but no cause for alarm"
Carlos Gimenez said he didn't see anything deplorable while touring the Krome detention facility, despite prior reports of overcrowding. He said it's not meant to be pleasant, but still, he said he didn't see anything that was inhumane.
The congressman said the average length of stay for a detainee at Krome is 27 days, and most are then deported.
"Most of them actually came because of some kind of an arrest, and then they were transferred over here," Gimenez said.
ICE confirmed to CBS News Miami back in March that the facility experienced temporary overcrowding amid heightened immigration enforcement. But on Monday, Gimenez said he didn't see signs of that.
"There's a capacity for about 1,000 people in there, and they have 1,000 people there," he explained.
He emphasized that detainees were not sleeping on the floor, were receiving meals and had bathroom access. According to Gimenez, the dormitory-style facility provides six bathrooms and showers per 100 detainees.
"And yeah, it's not the Ritz, but I can tell you that there's nothing going on in there that would be cause for alarm," Gimenez said.
Addressing ICE detainee protest and firsthand interactions
Earlier this month, detainees at Krome spelled out "SOS" on a basketball court — a universal sign of distress. When asked if he spoke with detainees about conditions when visits aren't pre-announced, Gimenez said he did speak with some of them in Spanish.
"Most of them stayed quiet. All right, it seemed to be okay," he said.
Gimenez recounted that some detainees made complaints, which he investigated himself.
"Some of the more vocals have said, Oh, hey, it's bad here. I said, Well, how is it bad? Oh, because this is that. I checked it out. Okay. And so, you know, we have to urinate on the floor. Why do you have to urinate on the floor? There's a toilet right there. Well, I haven't taken a bath in five days. Well, how come? Because there's showers here, right here," Gimenez said.
He added, "You know, sometimes, you know, people tend to think that, hey, just because somebody tells you something is true, I don't do that."
Gimenez suggests more recreation time for ICE detainees
If he could make one recommendation for improvement, Gimenez said it would be more recreation time for detainees.
Because the facility is at full capacity, Gimenez said only a limited number of detainees can be allowed out at a time. "Burning energy is a good thing," he added.
Recent Downtown Miami federal detention center tour
The Krome tour followed a recent visit Gimenez made to the Federal Detention Center in Downtown Miami, where immigration detainees are also being held. The June 17 visit made him the first Republican lawmaker to tour the facility since a raised alarms over alleged inhumane conditions.
Gimenez pushed back on those claims after the visit, saying, "I saw no deplorable living conditions here. This is not the Ritz-Carlton. It is a detention center. But there's nothing inhumane about what's going on."
The congressman said his visit was prompted by media reports of overcrowding, but he noted the facility is operating below capacity — 311 detainees in a space built for 500. He also addressed a recent incident involving dozens of detainees resisting orders and damaging property, acknowledging tensions within the facility.
