Alligator Alcatraz federal report details overcrowding, health concerns at former Florida detention facility

ORLANDO, Fla. - A federal watchdog says inspectors found "significant risks to detainee health and safety" during an unannounced visit to the former Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in South Florida, citing severe overcrowding, poor sanitation and conditions that investigators said fell short of humane treatment standards.

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General inspected the facility in January, about six months after it opened. At the time, roughly 1,500 detainees were being held there.

According to the report, inspectors could not identify any recognized standard of care that facility operators were following.

Overcrowding and confinement

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The report found housing units were just over one-third of their intended size, leaving detainees crowded into windowless pods surrounded by metal fencing. Inspectors also said detainees were not provided adequate recreation time.

One of the report's most serious findings involved small outdoor metal enclosures measuring about 18 square feet. Investigators said 79 detainees were placed in the enclosures for up to two hours at a time over several months.

The Office of Inspector General described the practice as "highly unconventional" and said it did "not align with the standards for humane treatment."

Food, water and sanitation concerns

Inspectors also reported that detainees lacked access to potable drinking water and were served food that had been stored above recommended temperatures.

The report said detainees were allowed to shower only three days a week in facilities where inspectors documented insect infestations.

Investigators also found detainees did not have access to functioning telephones or legal materials typically available at immigration detention facilities.

Dispute over oversight

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The Office of Inspector General issued 10 recommendations to address the deficiencies it identified. Those recommendations were not implemented after Alligator Alcatraz closed in June 2026, less than a year after opening.

In response to the report, the Department of Homeland Security said the facility was operated by the State of Florida rather than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, the inspector general disputed that characterization, saying ICE was involved in operating the facility.

The report also raised concerns about DHS's response because another immigration detention facility, Deportation Depot in North Florida, remains in operation.