Federal watchdog says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ inmates were forced to live in cramped conditions

A new report from a federal watchdog is revealing new details about the now-closed migrant detention center in South Florida known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’The Office of the Inspector General, mandated by Congress, conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility in January. Inspectors examined housing facilities, the kitchen, and showers, and they interviewed facility staff and detainees.Overall, the agency found the facility complied with intake and use of force standards, but did not comply with standards related to environmental health and safety, medical care, food services and hygiene, among other standards. The report detailed that detainees were not provided with sufficient living space, given less than half of what is required, which creating cramped conditions for detainees who spent most of their time in their housing units. Between July 2025 and this January, 79 detainees were confined in small metal enclosures which offered 18 square feet of floor space for periods ranging from several minutes to two hours, according to the report.Officials said the use of small metal enclosures is unprecedented among detention facilities that the OIG has inspected, presenting a significant risk to detainee health and safety. Inspectors recommended to discontinue the use of those small metal enclosures.The communication director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided Local 10 News the following statement: “At least ten million illegal aliens entered our country under the Biden administration. Florida decided to do something about it. The left-wing media wants to focus on a confinement area for violent criminal aliens who have proven they cannot remain peaceful while awaiting deportation. While it adheres to all federal standards for criminal confinement, we’d make it even smaller if we could.”The Department of Homeland Security did provide a response that inspectors included in the report, with the federal agency saying the state, and not the department, maintained authority over the facility’s day-to-day operations. Since the facility closed in June, all ten recommendations inspectors made to improve oversight have now been closed.

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