Report: Detainees were held in small cages at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz'

Detainees at a now-closed immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades — known as “Alligator Alcatraz” — were held for up to two hours in small metal enclosures used as “calming areas.” That's according to a new report by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General, who called it a practice that “does not meet standards for humane treatment.” The report was prepared following an unannounced visit to the South Florida Detention Facility on Jan. 21.

It marks the first time a government agency has confirmed the existence of such conditions. Advocates, lawyers, families and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International had previously reported and harshly criticized the treatment of detainees.

Read the original report at Apnews.