A migrant detention facility in Florida, once promoted by former President Donald Trump as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ failed to meet federal standards and housed detainees in small metal enclosures, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The facility, which operated for 13 months starting in July 2025, was closed after reports of severe issues emerged. Florida officials stated that approximately 22,000 detainees were processed and deported from the center during its operational period. The OIG report concluded that conditions at the facility posed "significant risks" to the health and safety of migrants, citing inadequate living conditions, food services, and medical care.
Inspectors observed small, fenced-in metal enclosures where migrants were reportedly confined for periods ranging from several minutes to approximately two hours. The report noted this practice was "unlike any OIG team has observed in ICE facilities" and stated that "confining individuals in small metal enclosures for any reason presents significant risks to detainee health and well-being." Although facility staff described these enclosures as "calming areas" for detainees, inspectors found that they had locking mechanisms and were used as a disciplinary tool in at least one instance.
The OIG report indicated that over 75 migrants were confined in these small metal enclosures, measuring about 18 square feet, with an average confinement time of just over 59 minutes. The report also highlighted significant problems with food safety, access to clean drinking water, hygiene, living space, and recreation, including showers infested with insects.
During a tour of the facility last year, Trump had described 'Alligator Alcatraz' as a potential model for future detention centers. The facility, situated on an abandoned airfield in the Everglades, was equipped with 5,000 beds, over 200 security cameras, and approximately 400 security personnel, enclosed by a barbed-wire fence.
Trump had previously commented on the facility's remote location, joking that detainees should be taught to run in a zig-zag pattern to evade alligators if they escaped. Neither DHS nor ICE had immediately responded to requests for comment on the report.