The report highlights that facility staff dubbed the metal structures 'calming areas' meant for emotional de-escalation. However, internal documentation revealed at least one instance where a detainee was locked away for 26 minutes as punishment for failing to follow a lawful order. Photographs depict the enclosures as telephone-booth-sized cages sitting on turf, surrounded by chain-link fencing and concertina wire.
Beyond the use of cages, investigators found systemic failures at the South Florida Detention Facility. Detainees were housed in windowless units with only 28 square feet of space each—far below the federal mandate of 75 square feet. Conditions were further degraded by restricted access to showers, clean water, and legal materials. While the facility closed in June due to hurricane concerns, the Department of Homeland Security maintains that operations were consistent with previous federal standards and has denied allegations of inhumane treatment. Florida officials likewise insist the site adhered to all required confinement protocols.
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