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Migrants detained at the controversial and now-closed Florida detention facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" were subjected to confinement in small outdoor metal cages for hours at a time, according to an extensive oversight report released by the internal watchdog for the United States Department of Homeland Security.
The investigative report, drafted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, revealed that detainees were regularly locked inside outdoor cages measuring approximately 18 square feet, or 1.67 square meters. Watchdog investigators concluded that the utilization of such restrictive enclosures was unprecedented across American detention centers and posed clear dangers to those subjected to it.
According to records examined by oversight officials, at least 79 immigrants were held inside these compact metal cages between July 2025 and January 2026. The durations of these confinements varied widely, lasting from just several minutes to nearly two full hours under the open sky.
Facility leadership attempted to defend the enclosures by categorizing them as designated calming areas intended to offer detainees space to de-escalate situations and spend time in solitude. However, investigators determined that the units were employed far more punitively, finding evidence that migrants were placed into the cramped spaces as a disciplinary measure on at least one documented occasion.
The oversight body concluded that confining individuals to such severe and restrictive enclosures was highly unconventional and directly violated established baseline requirements for the humane treatment of detainees. The report noted that this practice was only one of many systemic failures identified during an unannounced inspection conducted at the complex in January.
Beyond the use of outdoor cages, the inspector general's review revealed pervasive non-compliance with essential operational standards. The facility failed to satisfy mandatory federal guidelines regarding personal hygiene, healthcare provision, food services, and broad physical safety protocols.
Investigators discovered that the facility's hygiene amenities were severely deficient, noting that showers were infested with small insects. Detained immigrants were heavily restricted in their access to sanitation, being permitted to bathe only three times per week despite the challenging environmental conditions of the region.
Living quarters inside the facility were also found to be excessively restricted. Detainees were deprived of sufficient personal space, resulting in intensely cramped quarters where individuals were forced to spend the overwhelming majority of their days confined inside their designated housing units.
Basic hydration needs were similarly neglected, according to testimony gathered by inspectors. Immigrants reported that they lacked consistent access to clean drinking water and were not provided the means to wash the plastic cups assigned to them for daily hydration.
The findings corroborate earlier accounts shared by individuals previously held inside the compound, who reported being systematically denied critical prescription medications alongside routine shower access and essential sanitation resources.
The facility itself had a swift and contentious emergence. Constructed in 2025 in a span of just eight days, the detention camp was erected directly within the Florida Everglades, a federally protected wetland environment famous for its dense wild alligator population.
The site was created after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order authorizing its establishment. Under the operational arrangement, the state of Florida assumed day-to-day command of the facility, while the federal government underwrote the necessary operational expenditures.
In its official response submitted to the inspector general, the Department of Homeland Security stated that state authorities in Florida, rather than federal personnel, exercised complete authority over the daily administration and protocols of the facility. Requests for formal comment on the findings were submitted to both Governor DeSantis and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The facility rapidly became one of the most infamous detention installations in the country, attracting intense criticism from civil rights organizations that condemned the site as inherently inhumane. President Donald Trump, who appointed the current DHS inspector general during his first presidential term, toured the Everglades site last July and previously made light of the location by joking that detainees would have to learn how to flee from alligators.
Following sustained scrutiny and legal challenges over its operation, Governor DeSantis announced in June 2026 that the facility would cease operations, asserting that the compound had only ever been intended to operate on a temporary basis.
The final report by the Department of Homeland Security watchdog solidifies the notorious reputation of the Everglades compound, offering a formal accounting of the dangerous confinement methods and substandard living conditions endured by detainees during the facility's operation.
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