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Homeland Security IG Finds Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Under-Sized Cages

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 4:43 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari reported Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” used 4-by-4-foot metal enclosures.
The 18-square-foot cages were less than half the 37-square-foot minimum required by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines.
Amnesty International’s September 2025 visit documented overflowing toilets, insects, 24-hour lights, and punitive metal “boxes”.
The center cost Florida over $1 billion, with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) providing $608 million while daily operations exceeded $1 million.

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Story summary

U.S. Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari reported Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” used 4-by-4-foot metal enclosures.
The 18-square-foot cages were less than half the 37-square-foot minimum required by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines.
Amnesty International’s September 2025 visit documented overflowing toilets, insects, 24-hour lights, and punitive metal “boxes”.
The center cost Florida over $1 billion, with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) providing $608 million while daily operations exceeded $1 million.