DHS watchdog finds detainees jailed in 18-square-foot cages at Alligator Alcatraz

A DHS inspector general report from an unannounced January 2026 visit found detainees at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz kept in cramped metal cages, some as small as 18 sq ft and used for up to two hours, in direct violation of ICE standards and raising serious concerns about health, safety, and humane treatment; the findings align with Amnesty International’s prior allegations, prompted political scrutiny of the DeSantis administration, and reference the facility’s closure in June after controversy and lawsuits.