Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Revealed Torture, Enforced Disappearances of Immigrants

Amnesty International has released a damning report accusing Florida authorities of subjecting immigrant detainees to torture and enforced disappearances within the state's detention network.

The findings, based on a research mission to southern Florida in September 2025, document systemic abuses at the Everglades Detention Facility and the Krome North Service Processing Centre, linking the deterioration of standards to the intensified deportation policies of the Trump administration.

Systemic Dehumanisation

The investigation concludes that the conditions are not merely the result of negligence but represent a calculated strategy. The findings came from the organisation's research trip to southern Florida in September 2025. 'These findings confirm a deliberate system built to punish, dehumanise, and hide the suffering of people in detention,' said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International Regional Director for the Americas. 'Immigration enforcement cannot operate outside the rule of law or exempt itself from human rights standards. What we are seeing in Florida should alarm the entire region.'

Findings in 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The report paints a disturbing picture of the Everglades Detention Facility, colloquially known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'. Investigators documented toilets that are overflowing with human waste that would already seep into the sleeping quarters of detainees, limited access to showers, and exposure to insects without proper protection.

Furthermore, the environmental conditions appear designed to inflict psychological distress. Detainees are also made to endure poor food and water, continuous illumination, and a lack of privacy, including surveillance cameras above toilets.

Allegations of Torture and Physical Abuse

The physical treatment of detainees reportedly violates standard custodial protocols. Some detainees are reportedly always shackled whenever they are outside their cells.

Further, the report details the use of stress positions and confinement. Detainees described being placed inside a 'box'—a 2x2-foot cage—imposed as punishment for hours at a time without food or water.

Legal Vacuum and Enforced Disappearances

The facility is reportedly operating without federal oversight and without the basic tracking systems that ICE centres are known to use. This administrative void has created a legal black hole. The lack of tracking or registration for the centre could be described as forced disappearances, as the detainees are not allowed to contact their families or lawyers.

'These despicable and nauseating conditions at Alligator Alcatraz reflect a pattern of deliberate neglect designed to dehumanise and punish those detained there,' said Amnesty International USA Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights Amy Fischer.

Findings at the Krome Detention Centre

At the Krome North Service Processing Centre, Amnesty found that even where medical infrastructure exists, detainees reported 'serious medical negligence', including the failure to provide proper treatments or assessments.

The facility, which has a history of complaints, continues to exhibit signs of systemic failure. Detainees confirmed reports of overcrowding, prolonged solitary confinement, and arbitrary detention. Similar to the Everglades facility, reports include overflowing toilets, broken air conditioning, and continuous lighting.

Violence and Lack of Due Process

Violence by authorities is reportedly endemic. Amnesty staff witnessed a guard violently slam the metal flap of a solitary confinement door onto a detainee's injured hand. Other reports detail detainees being struck by guards and facing immense barriers to accessing legal counsel.

Detainees are often not informed of the duration of their detention, leaving them in a state of indefinite limbo.

'Krome's extreme overcrowding, medical neglect, and reports of humiliating and degrading treatment paint a picture of harrowing human conditions,' Fisher stated.