Amnesty International raises alarm over ‘torture’ allegations at Alligator Alcatraz
(December 7, 2025) Amnesty International, the non-governmental international organization focusing on and promoting human rights, issued a scathing report on Thursday raising grave concerns about the treatment of detainees at the controversial Florida migrant detention facility, Alligator Alcatraz.
Aptly named due to its remote location, the facility has long been the subject of scrutiny for its harsh conditions. Amnesty International specifically condemned the use of a confined space referred to as the “box,” alleging that its use may amount to torture.
The human rights organization said in a 61-page digital report that the box, a 2-by-2-foot cage located in Alligator Alcatraz’s yard, keeps people restrained to the ground and holds them still for hours. Exposure to the heat, insects and the elements puts these prisoners at risk, Amnesty stated. ~ The Hill
The “box” is a small, solitary confinement area where detainees are reportedly held for extended periods in conditions that violate international human rights laws. The organization described the space as “inhumane,” noting that individuals placed in the box often suffer from both physical and psychological harm due to its isolation, cramped dimensions, and lack of access to basic needs.
The New Miami Times reports that ever since Florida opened Alligator Alcatraz in the middle of the Everglades this past summer, migrants and detainee have reportedinhumane and unsanitary conditions, including toilets overflowing with feces, food infested with maggots, lack of access to attorneys, and inadequate medical care, all among “stadium lights” that remain on permanently.
But while detainees and advocates have long alleged harsh conditions at the remote facility, the new report from Amnesty International suggests they may be far worse than previously known — in some cases rising to the level of “torture.”
Common Dreams reports Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights with Amnesty International USA as saying, “These despicable and nauseating conditions at Alligator Alcatraz reflect a pattern of deliberate neglect designed to dehumanize and punish those detained there. “This is unreal—where’s the oversight?”
Since its inception, Alligator Alcatraz has been the focus of numerous investigations, particularly over its treatment of detained migrants, some of whom are seeking asylum in the United States. Reports have surfaced of overcrowded cells, inadequate medical care, and alleged physical abuse by guards.
Amnesty International called for immediate international attention to the facility, urging the U.S. government to shut down the “box” and ensure that all detainees are held in conditions that adhere to human dignity and international standards. The organization also called for independent oversight to investigate further human rights abuses.
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, the man who can take all the credit for the creation, location, operation and naming of “Alligator Alcatraz,” has dismissed the Amnesty International report as a “politically motivated attack” and denied the allegations of torture and inhumane conditions, according to ABC News. DeSantis is on record as downplaying concerns about facility conditions, mentioning detainee complaints about air conditioning and food, and criticizing media coverage.
You can check out Amnesty International’s scathing 61-page report, “TORTURE AND ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE,” on the organization’s website. The report details severe human rights violations at the state-run Everglades detention facility, and the federal Krome facility.
See the video below where CNN talked to immigrants being detained at the Florida facility and created a 3D model to explore what conditions are like inside.
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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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