Desperation in Detention: Migrant Stories from U.S. Immigration Holding Centers

Mon Feb 09 2026 22:56:01 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the number of immigrants in detention soars, stories of despair emerge from those like Felipe Hernandez Espinosa, awaiting their fate in inhumane conditions. This article explores the ongoing plight of asylum-seekers trapped in a system that often leaves them languishing in detention indefinitely.

The article highlights the experiences of Felipe Hernandez Espinosa, a Nicaraguan asylum-seeker, who has faced horrifying conditions in U.S. immigration detention centers. Prolonged detention has drastically increased due to policy changes, forcing many migrants to lose hope in their quest for refuge. Legal advocates warn of alarming trends in the treatment and duration of immigrant detentions.

MIAMI (AP) — Felipe Hernandez Espinosa spent 45 days at “Alligator Alcatraz,” an immigration holding center in Florida where detainees described appalling conditions such as worms in their food and overflowing sewage. Currently held at Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas, Hernandez is part of a growing number of asylum seekers facing prolonged detention, with some awaiting hearings for months or even years.

After five months in detention, Hernandez expressed his desperation, stating, I came to this country thinking they would help me, and I’ve been detained for six months without having committed a crime. It has been too long. I am desperate.”

Under new policies implemented during President Trump’s administration, immigration judges have limited abilities to release detainees while their cases progress through the increasingly backlogged courts. Many migrants, Matt Hofer among them, report feeling hopeless, with 7,252 individuals languishing in ICE custody for six months or more, according to recent data.

In a dismal environment, Hernandez recounts having allergies and requiring a gluten-free diet—needs that have gone unmet since his detention began. After repeated attempts to request repatriation to Nicaragua, he remains uncertain of when he will be able to leave detention.

With the U.S. government now holding over 70,000 people in custody, stories of despair emerge not just from Hernandez but from many others in similar distressing situations. Legal experts emphasize that conditions in these facilities are worsening, reflecting an alarming trend in the treatment of immigrants and a growing disregard for their rights.

They’re just holding these people indefinitely, noted Sarah Houston, managing attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. We’re seeing people who actually win their immigration cases just languishing in jail.”

As Hernandez contemplates his future, he voices a profound sentiment of trauma and fear. I’m always thinking about when I’m going to get out, he said, embodying the dread shared by many in detention.