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MIAMI (AP) -- Detainees at a now-closed immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades -- known as "Alligator Alcatraz" -- were held for up to two hours in small metal enclosures used as "calming areas," a practice that "does not meet standards for humane treatment," according to a new report by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General released on Monday.
Between July 17, 2025, and Jan. 18, 2026, the report said, 79 detainees were confined in small metal enclosures of about 18 square feet of floor space each, for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours. Photographs included in the report show a cage that looks only slightly larger than a telephone booth sitting on what is either grass or turf and surrounded by chain-link fencing topped with concertina wire.
"The use of such restrictive spaces is highly unconventional," the report stated.
It noted that facility staff described the metal enclosures as "'calming areas' for detainees to de-escalate and have time alone." It didn't specify where the boxes were located or exactly the instances in which they were used but documents provided by staff at the facility said one detainee spent 26 minutes in one for failing to "comply with a lawful order." The report said that in at least one instance, the metal enclosure may have been used as a disciplinary tool.
A policy posted on the enclosures said the purpose of the holding cell space was to provide a "safe and secure place in general population for detainees to reflect on their behavior choices, manage their emotions, reduce stress, and practice self-directed behavior," according to the document attached to the report.
The revelation was part of a broader report from the Inspector General that detailed other conditions it described as inhumane.
The detention center was opened July 3, 2025, and closed on June 25. It quickly drew attention from immigration advocates who criticized the conditions. Detainees lacked adequate living space, access to showers, legal information and clean water, the report said, calling it a violation of federal and state detention standards.
The report was prepared following an unannounced visit to the South Florida Detention Facility on Jan. 21.