Inspector General Reports Finding Some Immigrants Held in Small Cages at ICE Facility

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.

“Use of these small metal enclosures for any reason is unprecedented among detention facilities OIG has inspected and presents significant risks to detainee health and safety,” the inspector general’s office stated.

Officials with the office also said the facility did not provide detainees with sufficient living space, creating conditions that could harm the physical and mental health of the detainees.

The findings drew criticism from some outside groups, including Global Refuge, a non-profit organization that supports refugees and migrants entering the United States.

“The stark reality is that human beings, many of whom came to this country seeking protection, were crammed into spaces unfit to accommodate them, denied adequate medical care, food, and basic hygiene—and in at least one case locked in a cage as punishment,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the organization, said in a statement. “That is not immigration enforcement. It is cruelty.”

Both Florida and federal officials reacted to the findings, saying the standards were no different from those used by previous administrations.

“Alligator Alcatraz was consistent with the same federal detention standards employed by previous administrations, including Biden and Obama. All detainee facilities are clean, and any allegations of inhumane conditions or excessive use of force are FALSE,” a DHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email. The spokesperson said that the facility, which was closed over the summer, was managed by Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters during a briefing that the immigrants held at the facility “had some serious, serious issues” and were not safe to be released.

“I think some of this stuff is going to be characterized in a certain way, no matter what,” he said. “But I can tell you, when they set it up, their goal was not only to meet the federal standards, but to actually exceed the federal standards. That did require more resources.”

In a second report also published on Sept. 11, the DHS OIG said that personnel went to an ICE facility in Miami in 2025 and found a number of problems, including a lower-than-minimum number of operational toilets, sinks, and showers, as well as overcrowding.

The inspector general said that officials agreed with recommendations to meet requirements at the Miami facility going forward.