Immigrants held in small outdoor cages at 'Alligator Alcatraz' in Florida, investigators find

What the report says

A watchdog report from the US Department of Homeland Security has found serious problems at Florida’s now-closed immigration detention centre known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The Office of the Inspector General said detainees were kept for hours in small outdoor metal cages, which it described as an unusual and unsafe practice. The report also said the site fell short on basic standards for hygiene, medical care, food, health and safety.

According to the BBC’s report on the findings, the facility held 79 immigrants in the outdoor enclosures between July 2025 and January 2026. Officials at the centre reportedly referred to the spaces as “calming areas,” but investigators said the conditions did not match humane detention standards. The watchdog also said the centre had cramped living space, limited access to showers, and complaints about bugs, lack of clean drinking water and difficulty cleaning drinking cups.

The BBC said the site was built quickly in 2025 in Florida’s Everglades, a protected wetland, and became a symbol of hard-line immigration policy. It was established by the state under an executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis, while DHS said Florida handled day-to-day operations. DeSantis later said the centre was temporary and would close in June 2026. The report matters because it raises fresh questions about detention conditions, state-federal responsibility and oversight of immigration facilities.