In a significant move to address longstanding concerns over human rights violations in U.S. immigration detention centers, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL), alongside Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), introduced the Stop Unlawful Detention and End Mistreatment (SUDEM) Act on Wednesday.
The legislation aims to expose what lawmakers call a pattern of secrecy, abuse, and due process violations within facilities operated or affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The SUDEM Act proposes sweeping transparency requirements across ICE facilities nationwide. If passed, the legislation would mandate the public disclosure of key data, including:
Who is being detained — where, when, and why
The legal authority and evidence behind each detention
Demographic information including age, nationality, and legal status
Facility-wide data on use of force, disciplinary actions, transfers, and deportations
A Response to Growing Concerns Across Florida
Advocates and lawmakers point to a troubling record of conditions at several Florida ICE detention centers. At Glades County Detention Center, there have been documented reports of toxic exposure and medical neglect. At Baker County, whistleblowers have reported racial harassment and excessive use of force. And at Miami’s Krome North facility, overcrowding and unsanitary conditions have raised alarms — including recent detainee deaths, according to a press release.
“Donald Trump and Republicans have turned our immigration system into a taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation,” Frost said in a press release. “People are being disappeared into a system that operates in the shadows — without public accountability, without basic human dignity, and often without legal justification. The SUDEM Act is about pulling back the curtain. This bill won’t fix everything, but if Donald Trump and his allies think these policies are defensible, then they shouldn’t be afraid to tell the public exactly what they’re doing. If they’re proud of it, they’ll report it. If they’re ashamed, they need to end it.”
The bill arrives as the Trump Administration seeks $45 billion in new federal funding to expand ICE detention infrastructure. Additionally, some states — including Florida — are working to deputize local jail systems to assist ICE in detaining more individuals, raising further concerns about civil liberties and government overreach.
“I just saw inhumane, overcrowded conditions inside Krome Detention Center in Miami, where detainees recently died. Yet ICE refuses to release data on who is being held and why. Nearly half the people in Krome have no criminal record. Now, Trump wants to cram hundreds of thousands of lawful TPS and humanitarian parole recipients into these facilities while DHS shuts out essential watchdogs that defend civil rights and due process everyone deserves. I’m proud to help lead this legislation to restore transparency and humanity to Trump’s lawless policies that tear apart families and terrorize our communities,” Wasserman Schultz said.
A Legislative Response to a Broader National Agenda
Rep. Frost, who has made human rights and immigration reform central to his platform, emphasized that the SUDEM Act is a step toward restoring public trust and legal oversight. The legislation has already received endorsements from several national and Florida-based advocacy organizations, including Public Citizen, CASA, LULAC, the Florida Immigration Coalition (FLIC), HOPE Community Center, Orlando Center for Justice, and the Hispanic Federation.