The story

A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report found that the now-closed Alligator Alcatraz detention center in the Florida Everglades confined migrants in small metal enclosures providing about 18 square feet of floor space. Facility staff called them calming areas where detainees were held for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours. The report said at least 79 detainees were placed in the enclosures between July 2025 and January 2026, and investigators found at least one instance where the enclosures were used to discipline a detainee who failed to comply with a lawful command.

The report called the use of such restrictive spaces highly unconventional and said it does not align with standards for humane treatment. The watchdog described the practice as unprecedented among facilities it has previously inspected and said it presented significant risks to detainees' health and safety. ICE guidelines say rooms designed to hold one person at a time should be a minimum of 37 square feet, and solitary confinement cells at federal prisons are around 84 square feet.

The facility opened in July 2025 and was operated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management as part of a partnership with ICE. Between 22,000 and 25,000 immigrants were detained and processed there before it closed in June, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The report also found the facility did not comply with national detention standards related to medical care, food service, personal hygiene and recreation. Housing units at maximum capacity provided only 28 square feet per detainee, far below the required 75 square feet.