Immigrants held in small outdoor cages at 'Alligator Alcatraz' in Florida, investigators find

Detainees at a now-defunct immigrant detention center in Florida's Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," were subjected to holding in cramped metal cages during the period between July 2025 and January 2026, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report. The Department's Inspector General's report revealed that these small enclosures, measuring around 18 square feet, were employed as "calming areas" for detainees to calm down and spend some time alone.

However, the use of such restrictive spaces was deemed highly non-conventional and not in line with humane treatment standards.

The report detailed that 79 detainees were confined in these enclosures, which ranged in duration from a few minutes to nearly two hours. Photographs included in the report showed a cage that appeared to be little more than a telephone booth, situated on grass or turf and encircled by chain-link fencing topped with concertina wire. Despite being described as a "safe and secure place" for detainees to reflect on their behavior, the enclosure may have been used as a disciplinary tool in some instances.

The detention center, which was operational from July 3, 2025, to June 25, 2026, drew criticism from advocates who highlighted the poor living conditions, including inadequate living space, access to showers, legal information, and clean water. The report found that detainees were housed in units with less than half the required space, with each detainee having only 28 square feet of floor space, well below the minimum of 75 square feet mandated by federal and state detention standards.