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Immigrants Describe Torturous Conditions at “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE Detention Camp

HeadlineJul 09, 2025
Image Credit: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

Immigrants jailed in Florida’s new detention camp, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” say conditions of their confinement are a form of torture. In a phone interview with CBS, immigrants described being served maggot-infested food, a lack of access to water for sanitation, and the denial of medical care and religious rights. There have also been reports of flooding near electric cables. The detention camp was built in just eight days at an abandoned airfield in the remote Everglades swamplands, with the first group of immigrants transferred last week. The detention camp can hold up to 5,000 immigrants. Last week, a group of Democratic Florida state lawmakers said they were denied entry to the detention camp for an inspection.

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