Former ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainee says he was placed in phone booth-sized cage for 15 hours

Key Points:

• Raúl Suárez Herrero, a former detainee at the now-closed Alligator Alcatraz ICE detention site in Florida, alleges he was confined for over 15 hours in a small cage measuring about 7 feet 9 inches high and 4 feet 3 inches square, where he feared snakes and endured mosquitoes.
• The DHS Office of Inspector General confirmed the use of these restrictive cages in a September 2025 report, calling their use "highly unconventional" and not aligned with humane treatment standards, though DHS denied allegations of inhumane conditions and abuse.
• Amnesty International also condemned the facility's conditions, describing the use of small cages as torture, while Florida officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis’ office, defended the cages as necessary for controlling violent detainees.
• Suárez's confinement reportedly began after he prayed aloud for an ill detainee, and he claims he was forcibly placed in the cage without medical treatment after being kicked by guards; he was deported to Mexico in February 2026 after over four decades living in the U.S.
• The detention center records show an average cage time of under one hour, but Suárez disputes this, stating no detainee could leave voluntarily, and the DHS Inspector General’s recommendations to discontinue the cages have not been fully addressed.