Alligator Alcatraz conditions investigation
A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report released September 15 found that 79 immigrant detainees at Florida's now-closed 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center were held in small metal enclosures -- about 18 square feet, with some as small as 4 feet 3 inches by 4 feet 3 inches -- for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours between July 17, 2025 and January 18, 2026, a practice the report called 'unprecedented among detention facilities' the watchdog had inspected and inconsistent with 'standards for humane treatment.' Facility staff described the enclosures as 'calming areas' for detainees to de-escalate, but inspectors found at least one instance where the enclosures were used as a disciplinary tool, including one detainee held 26 minutes for failing to 'comply with a lawful order.' The 33-34 page report, following a surprise January inspection, also found the facility violated federal standards on medical care, food service, hygiene and environmental safety: detainees showered only three times a week in bug-infested showers, lacked access to clean drinking water or cups they could wash, and were housed in units providing just 28 square feet of space per person, well below the 75-square-foot federal minimum, spending most of their time in windowless buildings.
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