Full Breakdown
Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Detention Facility: A Deep-Dive
By Drooid · · How we work
Facility Overview and Inspector-General Findings
The DHS Office of the Inspector General, led by Joseph Cuffari, inspected the Everglades detention site in January as part of its congressional mandate. The report documented “small metal enclosures” measuring roughly 4 by 4 feet (16 sq ft) and indoor cages of about 18 sq ft. ICE guidelines require a minimum of 37 sq ft for single-occupant rooms, while federal prison solitary cells average 84 sq ft. Records showed 79 detainees were placed in the metal cages over six months, with an average stay of just under one hour and a maximum of about two hours.
Legal and Operational Background
The facility, opened in July 2025, was built under Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration through a 287(g) partnership that permits state and local agencies to perform immigration enforcement duties normally handled by ICE. ICE personnel were present on site, and detainees received an ICE handbook labeling the site as an ICE facility, despite the DHS’s later statement that the 287(g) agreement does not grant the federal government authority over day-to-day operations. The DHS undersecretary of management and the acting ICE director signed a response denying any contractual authority to run the facility.
Conditions and Human-Rights Concerns
Amnesty International toured the site in September 2025, interviewing four detainees and reporting “inhuman and unsanitary conditions,” including overflowing toilets, insect exposure, and 24-hour lighting. Detainees described being placed in the metal “box,” shackled by the hands, with feet restrained to the ground, unable to sit or move, and forced to remain for hours in heat with minimal water. Amnesty concluded that using the box as punishment constitutes torture. ICE told the inspector general that detainees were shackled only during escort to the enclosures, not while inside.
Financial Burden
State records disclosed in a lawsuit show the facility cost Florida more than $1 billion in taxpayer money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed $608 million for operations. Internal spreadsheets reviewed by NBC News indicate daily operating costs exceeded $1 million, far above the typical ICE detention-bed cost of under $200 per day; the Everglades beds cost in excess of $3,000 per day.
Official Responses and Ongoing Litigation
Governor DeSantis asserted the site was always intended as a temporary solution, noting that detainees were either deported or transferred to other federal facilities after the shutdown in June. The DHS has not responded to additional inquiries about the inspector-general report or the 287(g) agreement, and the Florida attorney general’s office has not commented on the findings. Lawsuits challenging the facility’s existence and conditions remain pending.