The true nature of hastily erected ICE detention facilities — especially the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” erected in Trump buddy Ron DeSantis’s home state — was called out by Mike Masnick shortly after its debut last June:
There’s no way to look at what the US government is doing here and not think of it more as Auschwitz than Alcatraz. The parallels are unmistakable: hastily constructed camps in remote locations, euphemistic naming designed to obscure their true purpose, and—most tellingly—officials proudly touring the facilities while discussing plans to build “a system” of such camps nationwide.
All of that is indisputably true of this detention facility, which was very belatedly “retired” roughly a year after its opening. While those arguing in bad faith will strive to point out the differences between Alligator Alcatraz and concentration camps run by other fascists over the years, most people will generally understand the comparison and not get hung up about the lack of gas chambers, hard labor sites, or mass graves.
This detention center was nothing more than a bunch of “tents” (generously speaking — much of it more resembled portable car ports than actual tents) housing a bunch of metal cages. Detainees were exposed to heat, humidity, swarms of insects, and routine abuse/neglect by the people hired by ICE to “manage” their detainment.
The official name for the facility is far more humane-sounding than the nickname routinely used by Trump, members of his administration, and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. “Alligator Alcatraz” was MAGA marketing. According the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the official name was “Florida Soft-Sided Facility” or FSSF.
FSSF was established by the state to better serve Trump’s mass detainment/deportation desires. The Florida Division of Emergency Management was somehow tasked with running this facility via a third-party contractor. While the DHS did not directly oversee this facility, the housing of federal arrestees for alleged immigration violations made it a de facto part of ICE operations — something aided and abetted by “several operative 287(g) agreements” with local agencies.
This likely explains the OIG’s decision to step into the breach and its ability to actually perform an unannounced inspection of “Alligator Alcatraz.” It started poorly, before getting much, much worse. From the OIG report [PDF]:
At the time of our inspection, FSSF staff could not clearly identify which detention standards they used for holding detainees on immigration-related charges. The absence of well-defined standards at detention facilities increases the risk that detainees may not receive appropriate care. When we asked the warden and staff which standards they used, we received inconsistent answers.
[…]
FSSF did not provide any written policy, procedure, agreement, or contract specifying the standards it followed, which undermines accountability and consistent application of detention standards.
What it looks like is what it is. Lowest-bidder plus zero standards or accountability. No one from the Trump or DeSantis administration was ever going to object to anything that happened there, so there was never any impetus to be better than the worst people imaginable.
This is what was done in our name by the Trump administration and its Florida-based enablers:
FSSF did not provide detainees with sufficient living space — less than half of what is required — creating cramped conditions for detainees who spent most of their time in their housing units.
And this:
We observed that there were no TVs or playing cards available, and reading materials were limited to religious texts, further restricting detainees’ ability to meaningfully occupy their time. One detainee in administrative segregation reported being held for 8 days in the SMU [Special Management Unit] without any opportunity for recreation.
And this:
FSSF leadership confirmed this limitation to legal materials, stating detainees could request escorts for scheduled legal appointments, but detainees could not access or retain legal materials otherwise. One detainee reported he did not have access to a telephone to speak with his attorney or ICE case officer during his 8 days in the SMU. FSSF had installed SMU telephones shortly before our inspection, but they were inoperable at the time of the inspection.
But especially this, which seems more Auschwitz than Alcatraz:
Between July 17, 2025, and January 18, 2026, FSSF confined 79 detainees in small metal enclosures — each offering about 18 square feet of floor space — for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly 2 hours, a practice unlike any OIG team has observed in ICE facilities. The use of such restrictive spaces is highly unconventional and does not align with standards for humane treatment.
If you’re not sure what 18 square feet looks like, the OIG has provided photos of cages that wouldn’t have looked out of place at the Hanoi Hilton:
Yeah, that’s fucked up. And the statements made by FSSF only make it worse:
Staff also reported that time spent in the small metal enclosures is closely monitored, and detainees are not locked in, even though we observed locking mechanisms on the enclosures.
And then there’s this, which is just psychopathic:
The purpose of a Holding Cell Space is to provide a safe and secure place in general population for detainees to reflect on their behavior choices, manage their emotions, reduce stress, and practice self-directed behavior.
This was posted on each “holding cell,” not only to make detainees feel like its was their own fault that they were locked in FSSF’s version of “tiger cages,” but to make those overseeing their detention comfortable with their decision to subject detainees to this particular form of torture. While the OIG did note that the average detention time was less than half of the posted two-hour maximum, it only does so after making it clear that it has never seen anything quite as fucked up as this in any of its other ICE detainment center inspections… ever.
And that’s on top of everything else that’s only the bare minimum expected when housing humans, like providing clean drinking water (nope), storing refrigerated food properly to prevent spoilage (nope), regular access to showers and other hygiene options (nope), and preventing insect infestations in cells, showers, and common areas (nope). If all of this doesn’t add up to a concentration camp, I don’t know what people actually think the baseline should be. It’s apparently far higher than I’m willing to accept. And it should be unacceptable to every American, even if they firmly believe we need tighter immigration standards.