Detainees at Florida’s controversial immigration jail, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” accuse guards of using teargas and carrying out mass beatings to suppress a protest inside the facility. The accusations, first reported by Miami’s Noticias 23, describe chaos after detainees began shouting for “freedom” after one received news that a relative had died.

According to testimonies, guards stormed in with batons, striking detainees indiscriminately and deploying teargas. “They’ve beaten everyone here, a lot of people have bled. Brother, teargas. We are immigrants, we are not criminals,” one detainee reportedly said in a phone call to the channel. Witnesses also described a fire alarm blaring continuously and helicopters circling overhead.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which runs the facility on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), dismissed the reports as “manufactured". Spokesperson Stephanie Hartman insisted that detainees were provided “clean, safe living conditions” and that guards follow proper procedures.

Protesters outside the camp, however, who have been present since its July 2 opening, noted ongoing reports of abuse. Some pointed to earlier hunger strikes that were allegedly broken up by transferring detainees to other facilities across Florida and Texas.

Longstanding complaints of abuse, inhumane conditions

The incident adds to a growing record of human rights abuses linked to Alligator Alcatraz. Reports and investigations have documented severe overcrowding, with up to 32 detainees held in chain-link cages inside tents. Conditions included sweltering heat followed by freezing air conditioning, infestations of mosquitoes, flooding during storms, and constant fluorescent lighting.

Medical neglect has also been widespread. Detainees say they were denied critical medications, while medical emergencies often went unanswered. At least one suicide attempt was reported. Food and water shortages further exacerbated the crisis, with maggot-infested meals, limited sanitation, and only three toilets shared by dozens of people.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International and the ACLU, have condemned the camp, comparing its deliberate cruelty to concentration camp practices.

Federal judge orders facility to close

Earlier this month, US District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that Alligator Alcatraz must be closed within 60 days, citing environmental violations in the fragile Everglades ecosystem. The order followed multiple lawsuits by environmental groups, civil rights organizations, and the Miccosukee Tribe.

Despite appeals by Florida officials and the Trump administration, the judge refused to delay enforcement. Authorities have since accelerated the transfer of detainees, with Florida’s emergency management chief confirming that the population would drop to zero “within days".

The shutdown has left Florida facing significant financial losses. Built at a cost of nearly $245 million in state contracts and projected to cost $450 million annually, the camp is now being dismantled after only weeks of operation. Closing costs are estimated at up to $40 million.

Governor Ron DeSantis had touted the facility as a cornerstone of his immigration crackdown, even celebrating its conditions during a tour with Donald Trump. He has since announced plans for a replacement detention site in northern Florida, dubbed “the deportation depot,” while other Republican-led states have floated similarly themed jails.