Alligator Alcatraz Caged Migrants

What happened

The DHS inspector general said Florida’s now-closed Alligator Alcatraz held detainees in metal enclosures of about 18 square feet. At least 79 detainees were placed there, sometimes for nearly two hours. Staff called them “calming areas,” but the watchdog said the practice was unprecedented, breached humane-treatment standards, and posed serious health and safety risks. The January unannounced inspection also found failures involving hygiene, medical care, food, water, showers, legal information, and living space. DHS said Florida ran the site; the watchdog still found standard violations.

How each side covered it

From the left

Coverage centered on basic-needs failures and use of restrictive enclosures. The New York Times reported that the state-run facility failed many federal standards and confined migrants in “small metal enclosures,” each with about 18 square feet. CNN said nearly 80 detainees were held there for periods up to almost two hours, and that watchdog teams had seen nothing like it in ICE facilities. The Miami Herald noted inadequate living space, showers, legal information, and clean water.

From the right

Coverage emphasized DeSantis’s pushback while still noting the watchdog’s criticism. Just the News reported that DeSantis dismissed the report, said only illegal migrants with “serious issues” were held there, and said the site aimed to exceed federal standards. It also noted the report’s finding that detainees were kept in “small metal enclosures” called calming areas for up to almost two hours, and that some lodging units held up to 32 people.

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Alligator Alcatraz Caged Migrants

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