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Used shoes as pillow: Indian-origin man details degrading treatment at U.S. ICE facility
Chauhan, who had lived legally in the United States since 2016, was detained by ICE in February after the bankruptcy of his barbecue franchise in Florida led to tax troubles.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 23, Jul 2025
- 14:04 EDT
- 38
Harpinder Singh Chauhan / Human Rights Watch
An Indian-origin man alleged degrading conditions and medical neglect while in U.S. immigration detention for nearly three months, following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year.
“I used my shoes as a pillow. We had no cups for water, just a toilet with a half-wall for privacy,” said Harpinder Singh Chauhan, recounting his experience in a freezing, overcrowded processing cell at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Florida, in testimony to Human Rights Watch.
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Chauhan, a British citizen, had lived legally in the U.S. since 2016 on an E-2 investor visa and later applied for permanent residency through an approved EB-5 petition. He was detained in February 2025 after his barbecue franchise in Florida went bankrupt and he faced tax-related issues.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch titled “You Feel Like Your Life Is Over,” Chauhan was held without access to proper bedding, sanitation, or essential medication. Despite serious health conditions—including diabetes, pancreatitis, asthma, and heart problems—his insulin and asthma inhaler, delivered by family, were allegedly withheld by ICE officers.
He was transferred across three facilities—Krome, FDC Miami, and Broward Transitional Center—where conditions worsened, he said. At FDC, he and a cellmate were allegedly threatened by officers when they asked to be moved from a cell without a working toilet or air conditioning. “They told us if we kept asking for a toilet that flushed, they would create a problem we wouldn’t like,” Chauhan said.
In April, after days without insulin, Chauhan collapsed at Broward Transitional Center, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility located in Pompano Beach, Florida, and was hospitalized with signs of cardiac distress. His son, Aaron, said he was unable to locate his father for days, as hospital staff initially denied Chauhan was admitted. He later learned ICE had listed him under the alias “Hank Campbell.”
After returning to detention, Chauhan said his belongings—including his passport—were missing, and staff responded to his queries with hostility. One message on the facility's digital system read: “YOU WILL WAIT. YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS.”
He also alleged verbal abuse by staff, including an officer who mocked his name by calling him “Chihuahua.” Although he was told the officer had been suspended, Chauhan said the same person resumed duty soon after.
Although a judge ordered his removal in May, the British citizen's return was delayed further after ICE reportedly lost his passport. He was deported to the United Kingdom in June.
ICE has not issued a public response to the allegations.
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