In November 2025, thirty-one individuals were arrested while peacefully protesting these conditions outside the Krome facility. Demonstrators wore shirts reading “ICE kidnapped my neighbor” and sought to draw attention to what experts and advocates describe as cruel and inhumane treatment within immigration detention centers. Although all were initially charged after protesting the facility, only five protesters continue to face prosecution by the state of Florida. If convicted they face up to two years and two months in prison. 

The attorneys representing these five individuals have filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that their actions constituted protected protest against documented human rights abuses.

We call on the State of Florida to immediately drop all charges against these five protesters.

Peaceful protest is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of democracy, especially when used to call attention to credible allegations of human rights violations. Prosecuting these individuals sends a chilling message to those who seek accountability and justice.

Stand for human rights. Stand for free expression.

Sign this petition to demand that the charges be dropped.

Context:

In 2025, the Trump administration, with the support of Congress and the Supreme Court, significantly intensified immigration enforcement across the United States. This escalation has had profound consequences for immigrant communities nationwide. Leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the American Immigration Council, have documented alarming patterns of abuse and systemic violations within immigration detention systems.

According to the American Immigration Council, the past year saw a 600% increase in at-large arrests, a 75% rise in the number of people held in ICE custody, and a staggering 2,450% increase in detainees with no criminal record. These figures reflect a dramatic expansion of enforcement practices that disproportionately impact individuals with no history of criminal activity.

One facility at the center of these concerns is the privately operated Krome ICE Detention Center in Miami-Dade County. Reports from Amnesty International detail severe and ongoing human rights violations, including medical neglect, extreme overcrowding, prolonged and arbitrary use of solitary confinement, lack of access to adequate healthcare, unsanitary conditions such as overflowing toilets, limited access to showers, constant illumination, and broken air conditioning systems. These inhumane conditions have reportedly contributed to the deaths of four detainees.

Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International, described the situation at Krome as “a harrowing picture of extreme overcrowding, medical neglect, and humiliating and degrading treatment,” underscoring the urgent need for accountability and reform.