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NewsWFLA News Channel 8September 14, 2026Hillsborough County

DHS Inspector General report finds immigration detainees confined in phone booth-sized outdoor cages at Alligator Alcatraz

Photo: WFLA News Channel 8

A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report reveals that immigration detainees at the closed Alligator Alcatraz facility were kept in outdoor cages roughly the size of phone booths for over an hour at a time.

Immigration DetentionDepartment of Homeland SecurityGovernment OversightDetainee Conditions
Read the full story at WFLA News Channel 8

Why It Matters

The report documents specific confinement conditions experienced by immigration detainees at a federal facility, providing official findings on detention practices.

Key Facts

  • A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report examined conditions at the Alligator Alcatraz facility.
  • Immigration detainees were confined to outdoor cages slightly larger than phone booths.
  • Detainees were kept in these outdoor cages for more than an hour at a time.
  • The Alligator Alcatraz facility is now shuttered.

Who's Mentioned

PersonRon DeSantis“Florida Governor who commented on the report during a news conference.”OrganizationDepartment of Homeland Security“Inspector General conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility.”locationAlligator Alcatraz“Everglades detention center that has since been closed.”