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Protesters marched to demand shut down of Krome Detention Center — and then got arrested for trespassing

Thirty people were arrested and detained by police on Saturday during a protest outside the Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade, according to protest organizers and Local 10 News.

The protesters marched and blocked the entrance to the immigrant detention facility to protest the aggressive deportation policies of the Trump administration. Krome is a federal government facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house suspected undocumented immigrants.

“ICE is a criminal organization that is terrifying everyday people on behalf of fascist billionaires. They have no right to kidnap our neighbors, and it's time for every single American to stand up to their intimidation tactics,” said Sunrise Movement Organizer Carly Shaffer in a statement.

“As young people, we refuse to accept a future where our friends and family can be disappeared without notice,” said Manu Guerrero, an organizer with Sunrise UCF. “We’re taking action because our communities deserve safety and the freedom to live without fear. We won’t stop until our loved ones are safely home where they belong.”

The protesters are demanding Krome be closed and that those detained be released.

READ MORE: Miami faith groups hold interfaith prayer vigil outside federal immigration office

They held photos of immigrants who died in ICE custody with signs saying "ICE kidnapped my neighbor."

The Trump administration's crackdown on immigration has led to an increase in the number of people being held at ICE detention facilities, including Krome, which is Florida's largest immigrant detention center.

The American Immigration Council reported 2025 as the deadliest for ICE detainees since 2004. They said 23 immigrants died in federal custody in the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Two more people have died in ICE detention since Sept. 30.

Last month, a U.S. Senate investigation uncovered dozens of credible reports of medical neglect and poor conditions in immigration detention centers nationwide — with detainees denied insulin, left without medical attention for days and forced to compete for clean water — raising scrutiny about how the government oversees its vast detention system.

ICE officials have rejected claims of mistreatment or poor conditions at detention facilties.

Saturday's protesters were charged with trespassing and jailed at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Some have been released after posting bail pending their next court appearance.

Sergio Bustos is WLRN's Vice President for News. He's been an editor at the Miami Herald and POLITICO Florida. Most recently, Bustos was Enterprise/Politics Editor for the USA Today Network-Florida’s 18 newsrooms. Reach him at sbustos@wlrnnews.org
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