Families seek answers after ICE transfers detainees from Krome facility due to Miami-Dade brush fires
Federal immigration officials confirmed Tuesday that detainees housed at the Krome Service Processing Center in West Miami-Dade were evacuated over the weekend due to brush fires burning near the facility, leaving relatives of some detainees without information regarding their loved ones' whereabouts or potential return.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acknowledged the transfers following inquiries from CBS News Miami. The agency did not specify the number of detainees relocated or confirm if they would be returned to Krome once conditions improve.
In a statement, ICE said the evacuation was initiated "out of an abundance of caution" due to the wildfires surrounding the site.
"ICE takes the health and safety of those in our custody as our top priority," the agency said. "Detainees have been transferred to other ICE facilities in and outside the state of Florida. ICE officers are trained for this kind of situation, and the evacuation is being completed in an orderly fashion with no incidents to report."
Among those seeking answers is Ivette Dominguez, who said she has not heard from her husband, 52-year-old Michel Avila, since Saturday. She believes he is among the detainees transferred from Krome.
"I don't know where he is," Dominguez told CBS News Miami in Spanish.
According to Dominguez, her husband called Sunday morning to report he and other detainees were being moved due to the fires. A search of a federal immigration website revealed records suggesting a transfer to Mississippi, though she has not been able to confirm the location.
Immigration attorney Morella Aguado, who is not involved in Avila's case, confirmed one of her clients was also transferred out of Krome.
"One thing that I've seen is that people that got transferred were people that had recent court days, like my client who had court tomorrow," Aguado said. "They're going to transfer them sometimes not only because of the fire."
Aguado noted that other factors may influence where detainees are sent. Immigrants who entered through the border and remain in Florida may still be eligible to seek bond, while those transferred to other states may face different legal circumstances.
"That is something they take into account at the time of transferring the person," she said.
Early Tuesday, CBS News Miami's Chopper 4 flew over the Krome facility and observed no immediate threat from nearby brush fires. Men believed to be detainees were visible in an outdoor area.
For Dominguez, the images raised additional concerns.
"If there are brush fires, the prison should be empty," she said.
Aguado said there is no guarantee that transferred detainees will return to Krome, leaving families uncertain about when or where they will be reunited with their loved ones.