Immigrant detainees at Florida's now-shuttered South Florida Detention Facility, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," were confined in outdoor cages for more than an hour at a time, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general.
The watchdog report confirmed the existence of these cramped cages, which measured approximately 4-by-4 feet, or 16 square feet. Facility staff described these enclosures as "calming areas" for "detainees to de-escalate and have time alone."
At least 79 detainees were held in these metal enclosures for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours. The inspector general's findings stated that "the use of such restrictive spaces is highly unconventional and does not align with standards for humane treatment."
These outdoor cages are less than half the size of the minimum space recommended for single-person occupancy in immigration detention facilities. ICE guidelines stipulate that rooms designed to hold one person should be at least 37 square feet. Solitary confinement cells in federal prisons are significantly larger, typically around 84 square feet. The facility also included indoor cages measuring 18 square feet.
The inspector general's report marks the first time a government agency has publicly confirmed these conditions. Amnesty International had previously reported on the cages in December, based on interviews with detainees and a facility tour. Amnesty International's report concluded that the cages were used to punish detainees and amounted to torture, prompting a congressional probe into the facility's operations. The inspector general's findings did not use the term "torture" but highlighted the deviation from humane treatment standards.
This public criticism from a federal inspector general is rare under the Trump administration. Since returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump has fired at least 18 inspectors general, who are responsible for objective audits and investigations within federal agencies.
Joseph Cuffari, Homeland Security's inspector general, is one of the few Cabinet-level inspectors general who was not removed during the administration's personnel changes. DHS IG inspectors visited the facility in January, fulfilling their congressional mandate to inspect detention facilities.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' administration built the South Florida Detention Facility, which opened in July 2025 in the Everglades. Florida's attorney general had previously dubbed the facility "Alligator Alcatraz."
The facility operated under a 287(g) agreement, a state and federal partnership that authorizes state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out special immigration enforcement duties, which are typically federal responsibilities.
Court documents from a lawsuit concerning the facility's existence show that 287(g) agreements require ICE to provide oversight "to ensure compliance with federal immigration law and ICE policies." Immigration enforcement activities are to be "supervised and directed by ICE."
Despite the oversight provisions, the Department of Homeland Security denied having authority over the day-to-day operations at the facility. This denial was issued in a signed response from the DHS undersecretary of management.
