Survivors held at the Florida Everglades immigration center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” have accused officials of subjecting them to conditions that some describe as torture. According to firsthand testimony reported by CNN and other outlets, detainees are living in overcrowded, bare metal cages with lights on 24/7 and no access to showers or beds.
Condition reports include:
- No bathing water for days, with detainees sometimes going four days unwashed and forced to sleep in clothing drenched in sweat.
- Food infested with worms, delivered only once daily.
- Infestations of mosquitoes “the size of elephants”, non-functioning air conditioning, and crowded tents under extreme heat or cold without respite.
- Communal caging units where up to 32 detainees live in a single metal enclosure, sharing toilets and sinks with virtually no privacy or sanitation.
Some detainees reported going without critical medication for days, and in one case, Christian detainees had their Bibles confiscated, with limitations placed on religious practices that attorneys described as deeply distressing.
Congressional Democrats—led by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxwell Frost—called the facility a “modern internment camp”, alleging misrepresentation during inspections and restricted oversight access.
Legal advocates have filed lawsuits demanding access and transparency. The ACLU and Human Rights Watch issued reports condemning the facility for overcrowding, medical neglect, and segregation from basic legal channels. Organizations highlighted that hundreds are being detained without criminal convictions or due process.
Florida and DHS officials have strongly denied all allegations, calling the detainee reports fabricated. A statement from the Florida Division of Emergency Management claimed that hygiene, medical care, and operational standards “meet or exceed” federal ICE requirements.
Governor Ron DeSantis and President Trump previously touted the facility as an “efficient, deterrent” center surrounded by alligator- and python-infested swamps—a feature intentionally used to discourage escape attempts. Trump visited the site in early July, describing it as “almost like the real Alcatraz”.
Despite state defenses, multiple deportation flights have already departed from the center, with Florida reporting more than 100 individuals removed and plans for a rapid expansion of detainee capacity to 3,000–5,000.
