DHS Inspector General reports substandard conditions at closed Florida immigration detention center

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released a 33-page report after an unannounced inspection of a Florida immigration detention center that was closed in June. The review concluded that detainees were housed in soft-sided tents on an Everglades airstrip, with dormitory-style units providing as little as 28 square feet per person—well below the 75-square-foot minimum required by Florida jail standards. The OIG noted that such cramped conditions could jeopardize physical and mental health.

According to the report, detainees received only one hour of recreation three days a week and could shower only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, falling short of ICE’s requirement of at least six hours of recreation per week and Florida’s daily shower mandate. Inspectors also observed “small metal enclosures” measuring 52 inches on each side, which were used as “calming areas” for up to two hours per detainee. While staff said detainees sometimes requested the spaces for solitude, the OIG recorded at least one instance where an enclosure was used as a disciplinary measure.

The watchdog described the metal enclosures as “highly unconventional” and warned that confining individuals in such spaces poses “significant risks to detainee health and well-being.” The report recommended discontinuing their use, though the recommendation became moot after the facility ceased operations.

A DHS spokesperson responded that the center complied with federal detention standards applied by previous administrations and asserted that all facilities are clean, calling allegations of inhumane conditions “false.” The agency did not comment on the specific findings of the OIG report.