By Danny R. Johnson – Political News Editor
MIAMI – Alligator Alcatraz, the notorious immigrant detention camp built in the Florida Everglades last year, routinely held detainees in “small metal enclosures” with only 18 square feet of floor space—a practice the U.S. Government Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) independent watchdog called “highly unconventional” and inconsistent with humane-treatment standards, according to a DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.
The document offers a rare, detailed look inside the facility, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration opened last year. Set on a remote airfield in swampland and made up of several soft-sided tents, Alligator Alcatraz housed as many as 1,500 immigrant detainees at its peak. At the same time, DHS faced a shortage of detention beds elsewhere. The facility drew criticism after opening in summer 2025 over its treatment of migrants. Advocates cited flooding-prone tents, mosquito infestations, limited access to legal counsel, and food shortages. Florida officially closed it in June, citing the threat of hurricane season.
The report draws on an unannounced January 2026 inspection by the DHS OIG. Inspectors found that although the camp met intake and use-of-force standards, it violated several others. Most notably, staff confined 79 people in tight metal enclosures for periods ranging from a few minutes to two hours. The mesh enclosures—roughly phone-booth sized—measured about 4 feet by 4 feet and stood nearly 8 feet tall. Facility staff described them as “calming areas” where detainees could de-escalate and spend time alone, and said detainees requested to use them. But inspectors found at least one case in which staff used an enclosure to discipline someone who had not complied with an order.
Inspectors documented additional violations. Federal standards require at least 75 square feet of living space per detainee, but those held at the camp had only 28 square feet. During the inspection, OIG officials saw as many as 32 people held across the facility’s eight cell areas. Detainees were allowed recreation outside their housing units only three days a week for one hour. As the report noted, limited recreation meant detainees could not participate in exercise and recreational programs, potentially harming their physical and mental health. Detainees also told inspectors they lacked clean drinking water, and inspectors found they could shower only three days a week, despite federal standards requiring daily shower access.
In response to the Office of Inspector General, DHS blamed Florida for the conditions, saying the state retained authority over daily operations. The report, however, noted that ICE personnel were often on site and that federal funding helped open and operate the camp. The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which ran the facility, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, Alex Lanfranconi, communications director for Governor DeSantis, defended the facility: “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.”
San Diego County News contacted the offices of Florida Republican U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, as well as the offices of Republican U.S. House members Jimmy Patronis (District 1), Neal Dunn (District 2), Kat Cammack (District 3), Aaron Bean (District 4), John Rutherford (District 5), Randy Fine (District 6), Cory Mills (District 6), Mike Haridopolos (District 8), Daniel Webster (District 8), Gus M. Bilirakis (District 12), Anna Paulina Luna (District 13), Laurel Lee (District 15), Vern Buchanan (District 16), Greg Steube (District 17), Scott Franklin (District 18), Byron Donalds (District 19 and the current Republican nominee for Florida governor), Brian Mast (District 21), Mario Diaz-Balart (District 26), Maria Elvira Salazar (District 27), and Carlos Gimenez (District 28), seeking comment on the DHS OIG report. None of the offices responded. The report is available here.
