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As President Trump's immigration crackdown continues, one detention center in Miami is holding more than twice as many people as the space was meant for — which some attorneys say is a growing issue nationally.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's goal of deporting "millions" of people has led officials to jam more than 46,000 detainees into a system designed to hold no more than about 40,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records.

The result: In some centers, arrested non-citizens are living in inhumane conditions, enduring days without a shower and sleeping on floors and in overcrowded spaces, detainee attorneys tell Axios.

The crowding is just one sign of a system under stress:

Officials are scrambling to arrange more detention space across the U.S. and abroad.

They're sending detainees they've deemed as dangerous on controversial — and legally questionable — flights to foreign prisons without giving them court hearings.

And they're monitoring other unauthorized immigrants who've been arrested and released after agreeing to return for their court dates.

Zoom in: At the Krome North Processing Detention Center in Miami, about 200 people were at one point being held in a room meant for 85, Paul Chavez, director of the litigation program at Americans for Immigrant Justice, told Axios.

"If you have a building that's meant for 600 people, and now you have twice that in there, it'll inevitably lead to issues," he said.

Attorney Sabrina Surgil's client, a man in his 50s who's been at Krome since November, told her the conditions were fair when he arrived but that the number of detainees ballooned after Trump took office.

He told her his friends at the facility are "sleeping on the floor, sleeping by toilets," she told Axios.

Between the lines: ICE doesn't provide current numbers of those in detention due to "operational and security concerns," a spokesperson told Axios.

What they're saying: Detainees often are hesitant to speak out about conditions in detention, particularly if they're trying to get an immigration court to allow them to stay in the U.S.

But conditions have been so poor that some immigrants prefer deportation to spending more time in the facilities, Chavez said.

"A lot of people are just signing orders to be removed, because the conditions are so horrible," he said.

The other side: Nestor Yglesias, an ICE spokesperson in its Miami office, said in a statement that "some ICE facilities are experiencing temporary overcrowding due to recent increases in detention populations."

Still, he said, the agency is taking steps to alleviate crowding, including transferring detainees and "expedited case processing where appropriate."

"We are actively implementing measures to manage capacity while maintaining compliance with federal standards and our commitment to humane treatment," Yglesias said.

Yes, but: Three people have died at the Krome center while in ICE custody since October, most recently a 44-year-old Ukrainian man who died in February, NBC Miami reported.

A now-viral video shows people sleeping on the floor, and a man explaining there is little to no food at the center, the outlet reported.

What's next: A protest — "Rally To Stop Kamp Krome" — is scheduled for Saturday from 11am-2pm at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Krome Ave.

Miami's ICE facility under spotlight for overcrowding, poor conditions claims

In Miami facility, about 200 people were at one point being held in a room meant for 85, attorneys said.

Photo illustration of a chain fence with images of undocumented immigrants being arrested, detained, and deported.

Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: John Moore, J.Emilio Flores and Veronica G. Cardena/Getty Images, and Pool/Pool via Getty Images

As President Trump&#x27;s immigration crackdown continues, one detention center in Miami is holding more than twice as many people as the space was meant for — which some attorneys say is a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growing issue nationally" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/23/immigration-detention-overcrowding-trump" data-vars-content-id="5c4a5223-8400-46af-ba5d-df4a6af2d13d" data-vars-headline="Miami&#x27;s ICE facility under spotlight for overcrowding, poor conditions claims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/23/immigration-detention-overcrowding-trump" target="_self">growing issue nationally</a>.Why it matters: The Trump administration&#x27;s goal of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="deporting &quot;millions&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/13/trump-immigration-deportation-obstacles" data-vars-content-id="5c4a5223-8400-46af-ba5d-df4a6af2d13d" data-vars-headline="Miami&#x27;s ICE facility under spotlight for overcrowding, poor conditions claims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/13/trump-immigration-deportation-obstacles" target="_self">deporting &quot;millions&quot;</a> of people has led officials to jam more than 46,000 detainees into a system designed to hold no more than about 40,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records.

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