Authorities used small metal cages to hold illegal immigrants in a Florida facility that has since closed, a government watchdog said in a new report.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) also inspected another Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Florida and reported finding problems there, too.
At the Florida Soft-Sided Facility in Ochopee—known as Alligator Alcatraz—DHS inspector general officials during an unannounced inspection in January found that between July 17, 2025, and Jan. 18, 2026, 79 detainees were confined in small metal cages, according to the report on the inspection, released on Sept. 11.
Some of the immigrants, who were detained on immigration-related charges, were said to have been held in the cages for nearly two hours. According to ICE personnel, the cages were used for discipline, to intervene in crises, and as a way to address conflicts….