A Department of Homeland Security watchdog found that 79 detainees were confined in small metal enclosures at Florida’s now-shuttered "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration facility.
The enclosures measured about 18 square feet, with the inspector general describing their use as highly unconventional and inconsistent with humane detention standards.
The Everglades facility was opened by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in July 2025 under a partnership with federal immigration authorities. Staff described the enclosures as areas where detainees could calm down and spend time alone. However, detainees and Amnesty International alleged they were instead used as punishment.
Financial records cited in the report indicate the project cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, while daily costs per bed exceeded $3,000, raising further questions about the facility’s management and federal oversight.
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Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ confined migrants in ‘small metal enclosures’: DHS internal watchdoghttps://t.co/UA10JwdVKY
— The Hill (@thehill) September 14, 2026
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