Alligator Alcatraz held detainees in “cramped conditions,” sometimes “small metal enclosures,” DHS watchdog finds

Updated on: September 14, 2026 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News

The Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog is sharply criticizing conditions at the Florida immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," finding that detainees at the now-closed facility were held in "cramped conditions" — in dozens of cases, people were held for up to two hours in 18-square-foot enclosures.

The DHS Office of Inspector General issued its 33-page report Monday after conducting an unannounced inspection of the state-run facility earlier this year. Alligator Alcatraz — which was shuttered in June — had initially been cast by Trump administration officials as a model for how DHS could ramp up detention space as it aims to boost deportations. But it drew intense criticism from advocacy groups who alleged poor conditions, which DHS has strongly denied.

Most of the detainees at Alligator Alcatraz were held in soft-sided tents on an airstrip in the middle of the Everglades, which were further divided into dormitory-style units surrounded by metal fencing and filled with bunk beds. The enclosures didn't have common areas.

The OIG report found these housing units "did not provide detainees with sufficient living space." When at capacity, they provided 28 square feet…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/