A report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general has revealed that some immigrants detained at Florida’s now-closed South Florida Detention Facility—nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz"—were held in outdoor metal cages that were only slightly larger than telephone booths for more than an hour at a time. This is the first time a government agency has confirmed the existence of these cramped enclosures. Amnesty International had previously reported in December that the cages were used as a form of punishment and described the conditions as "torture," prompting a congressional investigation. While the inspector general’s report does not go as far as labeling the practice as torture, it states that the use of such restrictive spaces is highly unusual and inconsistent with international standards for humane treatment. The facility, located in the Everglades and opened in July 2025, was built under a state and federal partnership known as a 287(g) agreement. These agreements allow state and local law enforcement to carry out immigration enforcement duties, with oversight from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the agreement, ICE is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal immigration laws, and all immigration enforcement activities are to be supervised by ICE. However, court documents related to a lawsuit over the facility show that Florida agencies and ICE had signed these agreements, but the federal government did not have a contract to manage the facility’s daily operations. In response to the inspector general’s findings, Homeland Security denied having authority over the facility’s day-to-day operations. The department stated that ICE did not have a contract with the state of Florida to run the facility and that the 287(g) agreement does not grant the federal government control over the physical operations of detention centers. Despite this, ICE personnel were present at the facility, and all detainees were given an ICE handbook that identified Alligator Alcatraz as an ICE facility. Amnesty International visited the site in September 2025 and interviewed four detainees, describing conditions as "inhuman and unsanitary," including overflowing toilets, exposure to insects and constant lighting, and the use of a metal cage, referred to by detainees as the "box." According to the report, individuals placed in the cage had their hands and feet restrained and were forced to remain standing for hours in the heat with minimal water or protection. Amnesty International concluded that this practice constituted torture. ICE claimed that detainees were only shackled while being escorted to the cages, not while inside them. Records show that 79 detainees were held in the small metal cages over six months, with the average time being just under an hour. The facility reportedly used the cages to "help detainees reflect on their behavior" and manage stress, though the effectiveness and ethics of this method remain in question. The Florida facility, which cost over $1 billion in taxpayer funds, was partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provided $608 million. According to internal government documents, the facility cost over $1 million per day to operate, compared to less than $200 per day for a typical ICE detention bed. The facility shut down in June 2025, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stating it was intended to be temporary. Detainees were either deported or transferred to other federal facilities.