DHS inspector general reports detainees held in 4-by-4-foot outdoor cages at Florida facility
A DHS inspector general report found that a Florida immigration detention site used outdoor metal enclosures as small as 16 square feet, holding detainees for up to two hours, and highlighted cost and oversight concerns.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General released a report confirming that a now-closed immigration detention site in the Everglades used outdoor metal enclosures measuring roughly 4 by 4 feet, or 16 square feet, to hold detainees. Records show 79 individuals were placed in these cages between July 2025 and January 2026, with an average stay of just under an hour and a maximum of about two hours.
Facility staff described the enclosures as “calming areas” intended for detainees to de-escalate and reflect on behavior. A sign on the structure indicated it was meant to provide a “safe and secure place” for detainees to manage emotions. The report noted that staff monitored time spent inside and that detainees were not locked in, although locking mechanisms were present.
The inspector general’s findings indicate the cages are significantly smaller than the 37-square-foot minimum required for single-occupancy immigration detention rooms and far smaller than solitary-confinement cells in federal prisons, which average about 84 square feet.
ICE personnel were present at the site, and detainees received an ICE handbook identifying the facility as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement location, despite the absence of a formal contract for day-to-day operations. A DHS response stated that the 287(g) agreement with Florida does not grant the federal government authority over the facility’s physical operations.
The report also detailed the facility’s financial burden, citing state records that show more than $1 billion in taxpayer costs, with daily operating expenses exceeding $1 million. Federal assistance from FEMA accounted for $608 million of the total.
Amnesty International’s September 2025 tour of the site documented unsanitary conditions, including overflowing toilets and exposure to insects and continuous lighting. The organization described the metal cage as a “box” where detainees were shackled, unable to sit, and forced to remain for hours with limited water and protection from heat.
The Florida facility, opened in July 2025 under a partnership between the state and ICE, was shut down in June 2026. State officials said it was always intended to be temporary, and remaining detainees were transferred to other federal facilities or deported.