Investigative Reports
Investigation documents dangerous conditions, medical neglect and disability rights violations affecting detainees before transfers to facilities across the country.
Although Florida's Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility has closed, thousands of detainees have been transferred to detention centers across the country, making independent oversight and accountability more important than ever, according to a new report released today by Disability Rights Florida (DRF).
The report, Inside the Cages: Disability Rights Violations at Alligator Alcatraz, documents recurring patterns of dangerous living conditions, medical neglect, denial of disability accommodations, excessive force, and barriers to legal communication based on site visits, client interviews, medical record reviews, and advocacy conducted during the facility's operation.
More than 21,000 detainees were reportedly processed through the facility during its 12 months of operation, which cost the State of Florida approximately $1 million per day. While the tents and cages that made up Alligator Alcatraz are being dismantled, many of the people detained there have been transferred to other immigration detention facilities across the United States.
"The closure of one facility does not erase what happened there or eliminate the need for oversight," said Cherie Hall, executive director of Disability Rights Florida. "People with disabilities continue to be held in detention facilities across the country. The failures documented in this report underscore why independent monitoring, transparency, and accountability remain essential wherever people are detained."
The report describes detainees living in overcrowded metal cages with sharp exposed edges. These edges were described to look similar to cheese graters, that repeatedly caused cuts and injuries. Individuals reported overflowing toilets, mold, inconsistent access to clean drinking water, and little opportunity to leave their cages except for meals, medical appointments, or legal visits.
Medical records reviewed by DRF also revealed repeated delays and interruptions in critical medical treatment.
One detainee with diabetes repeatedly went without prescribed insulin for extended periods, causing dangerously high blood sugar and other medical emergencies. Another detainee suffered significant vision loss after an assault but never received recommended follow-up care with specialists despite emergency room discharge instructions.
The investigation also documented repeated failures to accommodate people with disabilities.
One man who relied on a wheelchair after serious injuries reported routinely missing meals and showers because staff would not provide the wheelchair needed to leave his housing area. He also reported falling and worsening his injuries because he was forced to move without mobility assistance.
The report also documents allegations of excessive force and punitive confinement.
One detainee described watching a guard slam another detainee’s head onto the cage and rubbing his face along the sharp exposed edges causing him to bleed across his forehead. The same detainee reported spending more than 12 hours in a cage measuring approximately three feet by three feet by seven feet after asking for additional time to finish a meal because previous dental extractions made it difficult to eat quickly.
The investigation found that inadequate food and the denial of medically appropriate diets contributed to significant weight loss among detainees. Individuals interviewed by DRF staff reported losing between 20 and 54 pounds during an average detention of about six months.
Although Alligator Alcatraz has closed, the issues identified in the report extend beyond one facility.
"The people detained at Alligator Alcatraz have not disappeared," Hall said. "Many have simply been transferred to other facilities. Independent oversight must follow them. Every detention facility has a responsibility to provide safe conditions, necessary medical care, and equal access for people with disabilities."
The report calls for continued independent oversight of immigration detention facilities, greater transparency, meaningful accountability for documented violations, and protections to ensure detainees with disabilities receive legally required accommodations and medical care.