Some detainees at the Florida Everglades facility were locked in individual metal cages with about 18 square feet of floor space for up to two hours.
Posted by Letters from an American, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 90%
Letters from an AmericanSep 15, 2026
The federal Inspector General report, as covered by AP, BBC, and the Washington Post, confirms that 79 detainees at the now-closed Everglades facility were confined in metal enclosures of about 18 square feet for up to nearly two hours, and that some enclosures were outdoors.
What was said
… People were crammed into overcrowded cells, they couldn't leave as often as required, were allowed showers only three times a week, and had little access to medical care, lawyers, clean water, or safe food. Some people were locked in tiny individual metal cages with about 18 square feet of floor space for up to two hours, some of which were outdoors. The staff told those from the inspector general's office that people asked to stay in the enclosures, which they called calming areas, where detainees could reflect on their behavior choices, manage their emotions, reduce stress, and practice self-directed …
Letters from an American · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The AP report on the DHS Inspector General's findings says 79 detainees were confined in small metal enclosures of about 18 square feet each, for periods from several minutes to nearly two hours, between July 2025 and January 2026.[1][4]
Supports. BBC reports that DHS inspectors found detainees held in small outdoor cages at the facility, matching the claim's point that some confinement was outdoors.[2]
Supports. The Washington Post's coverage of the same report repeats the up-to-two-hours detention in small metal enclosures at the Everglades center.[3]
Context. Facility staff said detainees were not locked inside, but inspectors reported seeing locking mechanisms on the enclosure doors, which does not contradict the claim that detainees were locked in.[5]
Context. The report's own description of the enclosures as 'calming areas' and its finding of at least one possible disciplinary use are context, not contradictions of the claim.[1][5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 tier 1, 1 tier 2, 1 not rated, 1 tier 3
- 1'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees were held in small metal cages, federal report saysapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Immigrants held in small outdoor cages at 'Alligator ...bbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 3'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees were held in small metal ...washingtonpost.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees were held in small metal ...wusf.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5DeSantis admin doubles down on 'even smaller' immigrant 'torture' cages after outragerawstory.com · tier 3 · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Detainees at the Florida Everglades facility were allowed showers only three times a week.True
- Amnesty International reported eight months ago that outdoor cages at the Florida Everglades facility were too small for someone to stand up, had no awning, and that people were chained to them.True
- The Department of Homeland Security inspector general released a report detailing violations of standards at the detention camp in the Florida Everglades.True
- The detention center in the Florida Everglades failed in six categories: medical care, food service, personal hygiene, recreation, environmental health and safety, and special management units.True