A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Miramar, Florida, has come under scrutiny after three Democratic lawmakers raised allegations of severe overcrowding and sanitation problems at the center used to process detained immigrants.
According to employee testimony cited by the lawmakers, the facility held 342 people on a single day in August despite having a rated capacity of only 56. The gap between those figures has raised concerns about the conditions in which detainees are being held.
According to EFE, the allegations were presented by Reps. Robert Garcia, Bennie Thompson, and Maxwell Frost in letters addressed to ICE Acting Director David Venturella and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The lawmakers requested explanations about detention conditions and asked for responses by October 5 as the allegations increase scrutiny of how immigration holding facilities in Florida are operating.
Three Democratic congressmen denounce that the ICE facility in Miramar, Florida, held 342 people on a single day despite having a capacity for 56. https://t.co/VyA9jxnQ1u
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) September 22, 2026
The holding cells in Miramar are intended for short-term detention, and the cited standards establish a 12-hour limit. However, the lawmakers allege that some immigrants were held at the facility for up to seven days.
According to Telemundo, the testimony also states that more than 100 people were forced to sleep while shackled in an annex. Photographs released by the lawmakers show detainees lying on the floor and areas with accumulated trash.
Among the most serious allegations is that a clogged toilet caused urine and feces to overflow into a cell. According to the letter, some ICE employees required antibiotics after working in those conditions.
The lawmakers also cited a lack of permanent medical staff and said a detainee who reported having tuberculosis was not isolated, raising additional concerns about health protocols at the facility.
Florida ICE Facility Overcrowding Accusation: They Hold 342 Detainees in Space for 56 – PHOTO: EFE The allegations extend beyond Miramar. The lawmakers also raised concerns about an ICE facility in Orlando, where testimony cited in the letters claims that as many as 80 people were held for days in overcrowded cells.
According to the allegations, some detainees were kept in shackles for approximately 16 hours a day. These claims are among the issues the lawmakers are asking immigration authorities and federal oversight agencies to investigate.
The lawmakers also accused officials at the Miramar and Orlando facilities of transferring detainees before congressional visits, a practice that, if confirmed, could interfere with lawmakers' ability to assess actual conditions inside the facilities.
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Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had already denounced overcrowding problems after making an unannounced visit to Miramar on July 2, when she said she found around 150 people, some of whom had been held for more than 72 hours.
The allegations come as ICE holds tens of thousands of immigrants in custody across the United States. According to data cited in the original report, 65,765 people were in ICE detention nationwide on July 11, a figure compiled by TRAC.
The number of people in custody has increased scrutiny of available capacity, sanitation conditions, and the amount of time immigrants can spend in facilities originally designed for temporary processing before transfer.
As of the reporting cited, neither ICE nor DHS had responded to media requests for comment. The conditions described therefore remain allegations presented by lawmakers and based on whistleblower testimony while official responses are awaited.
