The Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog report revealed that the Florida detention center known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' used small metal enclosures as 'calming areas' to confine migrants. Located in Ochopee, Florida, the facility failed to comply with federal detention standards, providing only 28 square feet of floor space per person, far below the required 75 square feet. Investigators found the enclosures, each offering approximately 18 square feet, were used to discipline detainees who failed to comply with lawful commands.

The report described the use of such restrictive spaces as highly unconventional and misaligned with humane treatment standards. The facility, erected in July 2025 on a training airport between Miami and Naples, cost state officials over $1 million per day to operate. It was shut down this summer amid criticism of conditions, legal challenges, and impending hurricane season, even though detainees had spent the 2025 season there.

President Trump had previously joked that the remote location required detainees to learn how to run away from alligators. The report also noted the facility's non-compliance with national standards regarding medical care, food service, personal hygiene, and recreation.