Alligator Alcatraz put detainees in metal cages labeled calming areas, watchdog finds, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/alligator-alcatraz-put-detainees-in-metal-cages-labeled-calming-areas-watchdog-finds/ar-AA2cbUeC?ocid=BingNewsVerp)

A report released by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) revealed that the now-closed immigration detention facility in the Florida Evergladeswidely referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz” (officially the Florida Soft-Sided Facility)held detainees in phone-booth-sized metal cages that staff labeled as “calming areas.”Key Findings of the Report

• The Cages: The metal enclosures measured roughly 4 feet 3 inches by 4 feet 3 inches and stood about 7 feet 9 inches tall, providing approximately 18 square feet of floor space. This is less than half of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 37-square-foot minimum requirement for single-person spaces.
• Frequency and Duration: Facility records documented 79 separate instances between July 2025 and January 2026 where detainees were locked inside these enclosures. Stays ranged from several minutes to nearly two hours, with an average time of just under an hour.
• Staff Explanations vs. Disciplinary Use: Facility staff claimed the enclosures were intended as voluntary “calming areas” for individuals to de-escalate and spend time alone. However, federal inspectors discovered documentation showing the cages were also used punitivelyincluding at least one documented instance where a detainee was locked inside for failing to follow an order.
• Violation of Standards: The inspector general described the use of such restrictive enclosures as “unprecedented” among ICE-inspected facilities, concluding that the practice was highly unconventional, posed serious risks to detainees’ physical and mental health, and failed to meet standards for humane treatment.

Broader Facility ConditionsBeyond the metal cages, the watchdog uncovered several other substandard conditions:

• Severe Overcrowding: Detainees spent the vast majority of their time in windowless housing units that held roughly three times the density allowed under federal standards.
• Hygiene and Water: Detainees reported being limited to showering only three times per week rather than daily, showers were infested with small insects, and access to clean drinking water was inadequate.
• Recreation and Legal Access: Detainees were denied sufficient outdoor recreation time and lacked basic access to legal materials and counsel.

The facility has since ceased operations, leading the inspector general to formally close its corrective recommendations.