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DHS Inspector General Confirms 79 Detainees in Metal Enclosures

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 11:34 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The DHS Office of Inspector General released a report confirming detainees were placed in metal enclosures.
The Sept 11, 2026 report documented 79 detainees held for up to two hours.
Each enclosure measured about 4 feet by 4 feet, giving roughly 18 square feet per detainee.
Housing units offered about 28 square feet per person, below the 75-square-foot federal minimum.
Governor Ron DeSantis said he had not read the report, while DHS said the facility complied with standards.

History

Historical Context

The 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal, exposed in March 2004, revealed systematic abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. personnel. The U.S. Army's internal investigation, overseen by Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, counted 36 documented violations and cited a 4-by-4-foot cell size, roughly 16 square feet per prisoner. Today's DHS Office of Inspector General report, citing 79 detainees confined in 4-by-4-foot enclosures for up to two hours, echoes those earlier violations. The Abu Ghraib fallout prompted the 2005 Detainee Treatment Act, mandating a 75-square-foot minimum, a standard still contested in current facilities.

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Story summary

The DHS Office of Inspector General released a report confirming detainees were placed in metal enclosures.
The Sept 11, 2026 report documented 79 detainees held for up to two hours.
Each enclosure measured about 4 feet by 4 feet, giving roughly 18 square feet per detainee.
Housing units offered about 28 square feet per person, below the 75-square-foot federal minimum.
Governor Ron DeSantis said he had not read the report, while DHS said the facility complied with standards.

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