DHS watchdog slams 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center for cramped conditions, cage-like enclosures

The Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog released a scathing 33-page report Monday detailing conditions at a Florida immigration detention facility that had become known as Alligator Alcatraz. The inspection, conducted unannounced earlier in the year, found that people held at the now-closed facility were confined in spaces so small that some detainees spent up to two hours in 18-square-foot metal enclosures — structures the OIG described as "highly unconventional" and misaligned with humane treatment standards.

The facility sat on an airstrip in the middle of the Everglades, where most detainees were housed in soft-sided tents subdivided into dormitory-style units ringed by metal fencing and packed with bunk beds. When full, these units provided each person with 28 square feet of living space — less than half the 75 square feet required under Florida state jail standards. The OIG warned that this arrangement "may harm detainees' physical and mental health." There were no common areas. Detainees received one hour of recreation time three days a week and could shower only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. ICE's own standards call for at least six hours of recreation weekly or one hour daily for five days, and Florida requires daily shower access.

The most striking finding involved what staff called "calming areas" — cage-like metal enclosures measuring 52 inches by 52 inches. Between July 2025 and January 2026, approximately 79 detainees were placed in these boxes. Staff told inspectors that detainees requested time inside to be alone, and that doors remained unlocked with signage stating people could leave whenever they wished. But the OIG documented at least one instance where an enclosure appeared to have been used as punishment: a detainee held inside for 26 minutes after failing to comply with commands. On average, detainees spent just under an hour in the enclosures, though some stayed the full two-hour maximum.

The watchdog called the use of these metal boxes "unprecedented among ICE facilities inspected by OIG." It stated plainly that "confining individuals in small metal enclosures for any reason presents significant risks to detainee health and well-being" and recommended their removal. All recommendations were closed out because the facility ceased operations.

Alligator Alcatraz had been promoted by Trump administration officials in summer 2025 as a model for expanding detention capacity as the government pursued increased deportations. The facility drew fierce opposition from Democratic lawmakers, immigration advocacy groups, and environmental organizations concerned about impacts on the Everglades ecosystem and protected lands. The DHS had strongly denied allegations of poor conditions. In response to the OIG report, a DHS spokesperson told CBS News that the facility "was consistent with the same federal detention standards employed by previous administrations, including Biden and Obama," and stated that "all allegations of inhumane conditions or excessive use of force are FALSE."

The OIG also found that staff at Alligator Alcatraz "could not clearly identify which detention standards they used for holding detainees," a gap the watchdog said increased the risk that people in custody would not receive appropriate care. When assessing the facility, the OIG applied whichever standard was more restrictive — Florida state jail rules or ICE's national standards. The detainees held there were in ICE custody on immigration-related charges, accused of being in the country illegally or violating federal immigration law. The facility was operated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.