Rep. Carlos Gimenez visits Miami detention center holding ICE detainees, disputes reports of inhumane conditions
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez on Tuesday became the first Republican lawmaker to visit the Federal Detention Center in Downtown Miami where immigration detainees are being held, following a investigation that raised concerns about inhumane conditions.
But after touring the facility, Gimenez said what he found contradicted the reports.
"Not the Ritz, but not inhumane"
"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," Gimenez said.
The congressman said he was motivated to visit after reading reports that the center was overcrowded and rundown. However, he noted that the facility's official capacity is 500, and it currently houses 311 detainees.
"They have two detainees to each cell, which [is] what they're designed for," he said.
Incident with detainees raised concerns
Gimenez also acknowledged a recent incident involving use of force at the facility.
"There were 42 inmates or detainees that refused orders, that had knocked some sprinklers and were looking to rip out some toilets in a holding cell facility as they were being processed," he said.
Support for South Florida immigrant communities
The Miami congressman also addressed the Biden administration's move to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
He said he and fellow Republican lawmakers from South Florida, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, are advocating for those affected.
"We have not had the same kind of problems that they've had in cities like New York, Chicago and L.A. The folks we have here, the immigrants we have here, are actually part of our community. They're working in our community," said Gimenez.
Gimenez said he plans to visit the Krome Detention Center next. That facility recently made headlines after detainees staged a sit-in protest, spelling out "SOS" in the recreation yard.
Two local Democratic members of Congress have already visited Krome.
