DHS watchdog finds immigrants held at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in outdoor cages the size of phone booths

Key Points:

• The DHS inspector general's report found detainees at a Florida immigration facility, known as Alligator Alcatraz, were held in metal enclosures significantly smaller than ICE guidelines, with some cages measuring only 16 to 18 square feet compared to the minimum 37 square feet standard.
• The facility, opened in July 2025 under Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration as part of a 287(g) agreement, was criticized for inhumane conditions including overcrowding, unsanitary environments, and use of small cages described by detainees as "the box," which Amnesty International labeled as torture.
• Despite ICE personnel presence and detainees receiving ICE handbooks identifying the facility as an ICE site, Homeland Security denied having authority over daily operations, stating no contract existed with Florida to run the facility and that federal oversight did not extend to physical management.
• The facility operated at a cost exceeding $1 billion to taxpayers, with daily expenses over $1 million and individual detention bed costs surpassing $3,000 per day, far above the typical ICE detention bed cost of less than $200 per day; the facility was shut down in June 2026 after being labeled temporary.
• Lawsuits and public backlash from Democrats and immigrant advocates followed the facility's use of tented housing and harsh conditions, with ongoing legal challenges and calls for accountability regarding detainee treatment and operational oversight.