Immigrant advocates protest inhumane conditions in Baltimore ICE detention facility

Immigrant rights advocates held a rally Tuesday to speak out against what they called "inhumane living conditions" at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Baltimore. 

Officials with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, the Maryland-based group CASA, and other advocates said immigrants being held at the Baltimore ICE field office are facing a lack of shower access, lack of medicine and lack of proper sleeping arrangements. 

"ICE's priority to dehumanize immigrant Marylanders illustrates the need for protections through legislative solutions," rally leaders said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, ICE maintains it is complying with federal laws.

According to immigrant rights advocates, ICE has detained people in its field office for more than a week. 

The group alleges that the agency is exceeding the 12-hour holding limit, leading to overcrowding in a space that is not designed for long-term detention. Rally leaders said ICE is denying immigrants access to necessary medicines, including for people with HIV and diabetes. 

"When family members reach out to try and deliver necessary medication, ICE has not let them provide it to their loved ones," leaders said. 

The group called for Maryland lawmakers to pass legislation that protects immigrants, such as: 

• The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (SB828) ensures that immigrants and their families can access schools, hospitals and courthouses without the fear of being detained by ICE
• The Maryland Data Privacy Act (SB977) prevents ICE from obtaining access to state and local agency databases without a warrant
• The Maryland Values Act (HB1222) ends 287(g) agreements that allow police to act as ICE agents

"ICE is throwing immigrant community members in cages and depriving them of basic human dignity," said Ama Frimpong, CASA's Legal Director. "Presented with the option to release people and monitor them in more humane ways as done in the past, ICE has instead chosen to keep them locked up in an office building not equipped for the holding of individuals."

Little food, water, no beds

A CASA member spoke on behalf of a man named Alfredo, who said his daughter has been detained for days.

"They are forced to endure meals of insufficient food, barely any water, and, most appallingly, people like my daughter are being denied the vital medications they need for their health and well-being," the member said.

Rachel Girod, an immigration attorney who's a partner at the law firm Eldridge Crandell, said she's had trouble getting in contact with clients once they're held in the facility. She also shared the experience of a transgender woman she represents, who she claims was misgendered while in custody.

"She had no way to know how much time had passed because there were no windows, no light, and no way to tell time in her cell," Girod said.

Girod added that her client was eventually released, but transferred to Miami, Florida -- creating another roadblock in getting that client home to Maryland.

"When the immigration judge in Miami finally made the right decision to send her back home to her husband, her family had to fly a thousand miles to get her and spend three nights in hotels waiting for ICE to finally release her," Girod said.

Advocates said Tuesday to expect litigation about the treatment at Baltimore's ICE facility soon, but didn't give a timeline on exactly when to expect that.

ICE defends its operations

In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said it only operates a holding room in Baltimore, so it isn't held to the same standards as say a detention facility. 

However, the statement said it ensures the facility runs in compliance with federal laws to "uphold the well-being and dignity of those in our custody."

According to a spokesperson, ICE Health Service Corps is on-site to provide necessary medical services.   

"In the event of a medical emergency, detainees are promptly transported to nearby hospitals to receive immediate and appropriate care," the statement reads. "ICE remains dedicated to transparency and accountability in our operations."

Crackdown on illegal  immigration

The increase in ICE arrests comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on illegal immigration in the U.S. 

Since taking office, President Trump has rolled back several policies implemented by the Biden administration, including a policy that identified sensitive locations where ICE arrests cannot occur. 

The president also put several new policies in place that have led to an increase in deportations and ICE arrests and lowered bordered crossings to a historic level. 

In February, Border Patrol reported about 8,450 apprehensions of migrants who crossed the southern border illegally, CBS News reported.

Protests ramp up

Community activists held a similar protest on Friday, March 14 outside of the ICE building in Baltimore City. 

The peaceful protest, led by the Free State Coalition, opposed the "unlawful and inhumane detainment of immigrants in Baltimore City." 

During the protest, some alleged that "people are being hurt." 

"There are people that are currently under horrifying conditions in Baltimore," said Sergio España, a volunteer with the Baltimore Rapid Response Center.

Following the Friday protest, WJZ reached out to ICE to ask if detainees are receiving basic necessities such as blankets, mattresses, showers and medical care. 

A spokesperson shared the following statement:

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement remains committed to enforcing immigration laws fairly, safely, and humanely, and ensures that holding facility operate in full compliance with federal laws, agency policies, and established standards to uphold the well-being and dignity of those in our custody. ICE Baltimore operates a holding room, not a detention facility, and therefore is not subject to the standards outlined in the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards."