Federal inspectors documented cramped metal enclosures, inadequate living space and other violations of detention standards at the now-closed Everglades facility.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell is calling for accountability after a federal watchdog report documented serious problems at the immigration detention facility in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General released its report Sept. 11 following an unannounced inspection of the Florida Soft-Sided Facility in Ochopee earlier this year. Inspectors found the facility failed to comply with a number of detention standards involving medical care, food service, personal hygiene, recreation, environmental health and safety, and detainee living conditions.
Among the most significant findings was the use of small metal enclosures that facility staff referred to as “calming areas.”
Inspectors found detainees held in small metal enclosures
According to the inspector general, 79 detainees were placed in the enclosures between July 2025 and January 2026. The spaces provided approximately 18 square feet of floor area, and detainees remained inside for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours.
Federal investigators described the practice as unlike what inspection teams had encountered at other immigration detention facilities and said the use of such restrictive spaces “does not align with standards for humane treatment.”
The report also found overcrowded conditions in the facility’s general housing areas. At maximum occupancy, detainees had about 28 square feet of living space per person, compared with a standard requiring 75 square feet.
Inspectors also documented problems involving access to clean drinking water, shower conditions, medical screening, food storage, recreation and access to legal materials. Detainees told inspectors they were generally permitted to shower three times a week, while inspectors observed insect problems in shower areas.
The findings provide federal confirmation of some concerns previously raised by human-rights organizations and detainees about conditions at the facility. Amnesty International had separately investigated treatment at Alligator Alcatraz and other Florida immigration detention facilities.
Driskell questions treatment and taxpayer cost
Driskell, a Tampa Democrat who currently serves as Florida House minority leader and has won the unopposed race for Florida Senate District 16, said the report raises questions both about detainee treatment and how taxpayer money was spent.
“The report is outrageous,” Driskell said in a statement. “To think over a billion dollars of our taxpayer dollars were used to treat these human beings with such indignity and disrespect.”
She continued:
“Putting people in metal cages in Florida’s heat, shackled and without water, is cruel. Meanwhile, Floridians are struggling to pay for gas, groceries, healthcare, and soaring housing costs. The Republicans prioritized Alligator Alcatraz over the needs of the people they represent. There must be accountability both for the shockingly inhumane treatment of detainees and this unprecedented waste of taxpayer money.”
Driskell’s reference to spending of more than $1 billion is consistent with estimates based on state financial records and contracts. CBS News Miami reported when the facility closed that the project’s cost had reached approximately $1.2 billion. A separate review of state records identified more than $900 million in vendor contracts connected to the facility, with overall estimates exceeding $1 billion.
DHS and DeSantis administration dispute criticism
The Department of Homeland Security has disputed broader allegations that detainees were treated inhumanely.
In its response to the inspector general, DHS said Florida, rather than ICE, maintained authority over the facility’s daily operations. DHS argued that it did not have a direct contract with Florida to manage detention space at the site.
The inspector general, however, noted that detainees remained in ICE custody, ICE personnel were present at the facility and federal funds were committed to its operation.
A DHS spokesperson also said the facility operated consistently with federal detention standards and rejected allegations of inhumane conditions. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ communications director defended the confinement areas and said the facility complied with federal standards.
The inspector general nevertheless concluded that the facility complied with some requirements, including intake and use-of-force standards, while failing to meet several others.
Alligator Alcatraz ceased operations in June 2026. Because the facility had closed, the inspector general administratively closed 10 recommendations that otherwise called for corrective action, including discontinuing the use of the small metal enclosures and improving access to clean drinking water and other basic services.
