OIG Finds Inhumane Conditions at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz

A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report found that Florida’s controversial immigration detention center, nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, violated federal and state standards by housing detainees in cramped metal cages, providing limited water, showers, and recreation, and even using cages as punishment. The $1 billion facility closed in June amid lawsuits and ongoing questions about oversight, funding, and the state’s role in detention operations, while officials defended the program and federal oversight was questioned.