A newly released federal watchdog report found significant overcrowding, food safety violations, medical staffing shortages and other deficiencies at the Krome North Service Processing Center in southwest Miami-Dade, confirming many of the concerns NBC6 has reported on for months.
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The findings come from an unannounced inspection conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General in May 2025 at the immigration detention center operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Inspectors identified nine areas requiring corrective action and concluded that overcrowding had contributed to multiple operational and safety concerns throughout the facility.
According to the report, Krome held 1,102 detainees on the first day of the inspection despite having a maximum capacity of 882, meaning the facility was operating about 25% above capacity.
Inspectors found overcrowded intake holding rooms, housing units exceeding their posted capacity, detainees being held in intake processing areas for more than 12 hours and detainees sleeping on temporary cots because permanent beds were unavailable.
The report echoes complaints NBC6 has documented over the last year.
In June 2025, protesters gathered outside the detention center, while detainees inside sought help and raised concerns about conditions.
Around the same time, NBC6 obtained three months of 911 calls from Krome that included emergency requests involving detainees experiencing medical and mental health crises.
The Inspector General’s report found overcrowding was the most significant issue observed during the two-day inspection.
Inspectors documented six intake holding rooms exceeding their posted capacity and found detainees standing or lying on floors due to a lack of space. Some detainees remained in intake for longer than the 12-hour maximum permitted under detention standards.
Inspectors also found several housing units exceeded capacity, including one unit operating 58% above its intended population.
The report states that because of overcrowding, Krome did not have enough functioning toilets, sinks and showers to meet required standards.
Six housing units failed the required toilet or urinal ratios, while other units lacked enough operational sinks and showers for the detainee population.
Beyond housing concerns, federal inspectors identified food service problems that they said could pose health risks to detainees and staff. The report documented raw chicken being improperly thawed, uncovered food exposed to potential contamination and frozen food left outside in direct sunlight for more than two hours. Inspectors also found freezer temperatures above required safety levels.
The inspection also found that detainees with different security classifications were housed together in some areas of the facility.
Inspectors warned that mixing high-risk detainees with lower-risk detainees could jeopardize the safety of both detainees and staff. They also found incomplete classification paperwork that could lead to detainees being assigned housing without proper review.
Medical operations were another area of concern.
Although inspectors found improvements in sick-call response times compared to a previous inspection, they reported that Krome lacked a required quality improvement program, did not properly maintain medical grievance records and was struggling with significant staffing shortages. At the time of the inspection, the facility had 15 medical vacancies, including positions in behavioral health, psychology, administration and nursing support.
The report also reviewed use-of-force incidents and found two cases in which staff failed to comply with detention standards.
In one incident, inspectors found officers could have used de-escalation techniques instead of pepper spray. In another case, an officer used a choke hold that inspectors determined was not authorized under policy.
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Immigration activist Maria Bilbao said the findings were not surprising.
“We heard these stories every single day,” Bilbao said.
She said advocates have long raised concerns about detainees sleeping on floors, food quality and limited access to bathrooms.
The Inspector General’s findings came around the same time as another 2025 ICE compliance inspection identified deficiencies related to holding rooms and medical care.
According to that inspection, dozens of detainees complained about excessive wait times in holding areas before being moved, and inspectors found issues related to medical screening requirements.
Around the same time both inspections occurred, Carlos Gimenez, a Republican congressman representing South Florida, toured the facility and described it as adequate and operating at capacity.
“And yeah, it’s not the Ritz,” Gimenez said at the time. “But I can tell you that there’s nothing going on in there that would cause, be cause for alarm.”
NBC6 reached out to Gimenez’s office regarding the new findings, but had not received a response.
ICE concurred with all nine recommendations issued by inspectors and said it has taken steps to address the deficiencies.
The agency told inspectors it added temporary housing space, implemented new oversight procedures, expanded training requirements and hired additional medical staff. The report notes that three recommendations have been closed, while six remain open pending additional documentation and verification.
In a statement, ICE said it “is committed to safe, secure, and humane environments for all of those in its custody and will ensure appropriate conditions for confinement.”
The agency also noted that all recommendations from the Inspector General report on Krome have been addressed and closed.
The findings also drew criticism from U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, who has previously toured Krome and said the Inspector General’s report validates concerns she raised months ago.
“What I saw in my unannounced visit at Krome is only confirmed by the IG’s report,” Wasserman Schultz told NBC6.
The South Florida Democrat said she was troubled that the conditions documented during her visit and publicly discussed afterward remained unresolved when federal inspectors conducted their own review.
“What is disturbing is how many months after I was there and came out and publicly talked about the horrific conditions there and the overcrowding, that they did nothing about it, and their own IG now confirms that that’s the case,” she said.
Wasserman Schultz said she and other members of Florida’s Democratic congressional delegation have sent a letter to federal officials seeking accountability and additional scrutiny of detention conditions.
“We need to make sure that we are holding the administration accountable and taking all the steps necessary to prohibit taxpayer-funded torture,” she said.
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