Liana Castano
Acting ICE Director in Charge
Krome Service Processing Center
18201 SW 12th Street Miami, Fl 33194
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Joseph V. Cuffari
US Dept. of Homeland Security
Center Office of Inspector General
245 Murray Lane Building 410 Stop: 2600
Washington, DC
20528 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Good afternoon Mr. Cuffari and Ms. Castano,
Community stakeholder groups have reached out to my office to express their concern regarding allegations that Muslim detainees at the Krome Processing Center are being fed pork, pork-based products, and rotten halal meals by ICE officials, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. If so, this would constitute a clear violation of their religious beliefs.
Given your current role in the agency, you are uniquely positioned to address this issue. As such, I respectfully request that you immediately investigate these reports and if they are found to be true, ensure that this unlawful and abhorrent pattern of religious discrimination be stopped and those involved be held accountable.
I feel strongly that no individuals held at Krome, or any other ICE facility, should be forced to choose between their faith and their physical well-being. In keeping with our American values, we must ensure that we respect the religious freedoms and observances of these individuals, while they await a determination of their immigration status.
Upon completion of your investigation, I am requesting a formal response from your offices.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Daniella Levine Cava
Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 8
CC:
Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews (MCCJ)
Muslims Arabs and South Asian Americans Foundation (MASA)
Americans for Immigrant Justice (AIJ)
