#ice boxes

Migrant women and children are being held for days in freezing-cold cells.

Migrants, immigration activists, and even — allegedly — U.S. government officials have a nickname for the frigid, cramped holding cells in Customs and Border Protection facilities: las hieleras, or “the iceboxes.” Women and children detained at the border will routinely spend several nights crowded into these tiny rooms, according to reports, wrapped in foil blankets, shivering, and denied mattresses and medicine.

In 2013, three undocumented immigrants sued the U.S. government over abuses they said they’d suffered in CBP custody, specifically citing the bitterly cold temperatures. “[One woman’s] lips eventually chapped and split,” read one of their suits. “The lips and fingers of her two sisters and her sister’s child also turned blue.” Since then, it seems, little has changed: On December 19, BuzzFeed News reported that a five-month-old girl has been hospitalized with pneumonia after being held in a hielera for five days with her mother. Within two days of being released from detention, she had a 102.7-degree fever and was throwing up.

The U.S. government is incredibly opaque about the conditions in their facilities; a CBP representative wouldn’t confirm the existence of hieleras to the Cut, and the agency has previously insisted that their cells are kept at 70 degrees. Reports from watchdog organizations and first-hand accounts from those who’ve been held in detention paint a starkly different picture, though: one of rampant abuse, neglect, and dangerously low temperatures. Here’s what we know.

The conditions inside of hieleras are notoriously bad

According to a February 2018 report from the Human Rights Watch, the conditions in the detention run by CBP centers are abysmal. In addition to the frigid temperatures, migrants are reportedly subjected to intense overcrowding, forced to sleep on concrete floors, and denied showers, soap, and toothpaste. The first photos of a hielera were only publicly released in 2016; they show over a dozen people sharing a tiny, concrete room in a Tucson facility, huddled under foil blankets.

“They took us to a room that was cold and gave us aluminum blankets,” a Guatemalan woman who had been held in an Arizona detention center in 2017 told HRW. “There were no mats. We slept on the bare floor. It was cold, really cold.”

Another woman, who crossed with her two-year-old son in 2015, was detained in Texas described similar conditions. “We were completely soaked from crossing the river. We’d waded in the water up to our waists. The place they held us was really cold. They only gave us a paper blanket. That’s all we had to keep us warm,” she said. “We were sitting on the cement floor, completely freezing. In the end, I had to sleep seated upright, with my son in my lap, because I couldn’t let him lay down on the cement floor. He would have been much too cold.”

Because there is limited access to the detention centers managed by the CBP, there’s no way to be sure how long, exactly, hieleras have existed; like many of America’s more brutal immigration policies and practices, they became widespread in the wake of September 11, when immigration issues were passed over to the newly created Department of Homeland Security. (A 2013 report from Univision on the use of hieleras details conditions not much different than those reported today.) There’s also no way to gauge the exact temperature they keep the cells — but years of complaints paint a picture of unlivable circumstances.

“It seems pretty likely to me that the persistent issues with the temperature are connected to this basic indifference and desire to create a punishing environment,” Clara Long, the lead researcher on the HRW report, told the Cut. “I think CBP’s response so far has been very telling of that; these talking points that are like ‘this is why we don’t people to bring their children on these dangerous journeys.’ As if, somehow, the indifference of the U.S. government is a legitimate danger that migrants should have to face.”

In the past, the CBP has denied that their treatment of migrants is substandard. But in July, when the agency was involved in the family separations, Reuters reported that hundreds of migrants gave sworn statements detailing the mistreatment and abuses they faced in CBP custody. CBP declined to comment on the hieleras, or any individual cases that may have involved them, to the Cut.

At least two migrants have died after allegedly being held in hieleras this year.

In May, a Honduran woman named Roxana Hernández died in ICE custody after being detained in a CBP facility. Multiple organizations reported that she was held in a hielera before her death; official reports say she displayed “symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration, and complications associated with HIV,” and a subsequent investigation from the Transgender Law Center indicated she had been beaten before her death.

“She was processed and held for five days in the dreaded ‘icebox’ — holding cells with extremely low temperatures — in U.S. Customs and Border Protection, suffering cold, lack of adequate food or medical care, with the lights on 24 hours a day, under lock and key,” read a statement about Hernández’s death from the organizations Diversidad Sin Fronteras, Al Otro Lado, and Pueblo Sin Fronteras.

And earlier this year, an 18-month-old Guatemalan girl named Mariee died less than two months after being released from U.S. government custody in Texas, where she and her mother had been held for weeks. The first few days of their detention, they were held in a CBP hielera before being moved to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. While they were held at the CBP facility, they were “forced to sleep on the floor of a locked cage with as many as 30 other people,” according to a lawsuit her mother filed.

Mariee’s mother, Yazmin Juárez, and her lawyers said that the Mariee was never given adequate healthcare, and that Juárez’s repeated requests for medical attention were ignored. Juarez is now suing the United States for $60 million dollars in damages.

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The Importance of Ice Boxes in Summer

Heat waves, high humidity, and a lot of outside activity are typical summertime conditions. Keeping the food, drinks, or perishables fresh becomes an issue whether it is for an outdoor party, a long vacation, or a weekend road trip. This is where having the best travel ice box is essential.

They are especially useful for:

Summer travel and tourism

Picnics and day outings

Road trips and family getaways

Outdoor catering services

Live events and food stalls

See Also: Buying an Ice Box: A Complete Overview

Types of Ice Boxes

Ice boxes come in various designs and sizes to meet diverse applications. Below are the popular types you might need:

1. Ice Box for Catering

Designed for professional use, these have a higher capacity (up to 150L) and durable construction. They can store bulk food, desserts, dairy, or cold beverages during outdoor weddings, parties, or corporate events.

2. Ice Box for Outdoor Events

Used by event organizers or food truck operators to offer chilled drinks and fresh meals on-site. These boxes are usually brightly colored, rugged, and easily transportable.

3. Travel Ice Boxes

These are ideal for personal trips and come in medium capacities (20L–60L). They fit conveniently into cars and can hold drinks, fruits, and snacks for long drives.

4. Portable Ice Box for Group Activities

Meant for group camping, road trips, and family picnics. These are compact, lightweight, and easy to carry.

This Blog is Already Published on : Best Ice Boxes for Travel, Catering & Outdoor Events

Conclusion

Insulated shipper boxes help maintain the quality of temperature-sensitive products during transport. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, and biotechnology use these boxes to protect products from extreme temperatures, ensuring they remain fresh and undamaged upon delivery.

Types of Insulated Shipper Boxes

Foam Insulated Boxes – Lightweight and great for maintaining stable temperatures.

Thermal Liner Boxes – Reflective liners help regulate heat and cold.

Gel Pack Boxes – Uses cooling gel packs for steady temperature control.

Dry Ice Boxes – Ideal for ultra-low temperatures, perfect for frozen goods and medical shipments.

Key Benefits

✅ Product Safety: Keeps perishables fresh and effective. ✅ Regulation Compliance: Meets industry shipping standards. ✅ Cost Savings: Prevents spoilage, reducing losses. ✅ Eco-Friendly Options: Sustainable packaging choices available.

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More Details on : Insulated Shipper Boxes: Everything You Need to Know