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A Florida detention center once touted by Donald Trump as a tough-on-immigration symbol is now facing renewed outrage after a whistleblower revealed appalling living conditions for detainees and staff alike.
The facility, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” for its swampy location and proximity to alligator habitats, costs roughly $450 million annually to operate. Trump had even joked during a visit about escapees potentially encountering the reptiles. But an NBC investigation, backed by insider testimony, paints a much darker picture of life inside.
Lindsey, a correctional officer hired through GardaWorld Federal Services, told NBC she was stunned by what she saw. Living arrangements for staff were rough, shared trailers, porta-johns, and no hot water for half of her assignment. But conditions for detainees, she said, were “like oversized kennels.”
According to Lindsey, each cage held 35–38 people, with eight cages per tent, packing nearly 300 individuals into a single tent. There are no clocks, no sunlight, and only one shower opportunity every four days.
The overcrowding comes even though Human Rights Watch estimates 72% of ICE detainees have no criminal history. Lindsey confirmed that many she encountered were not criminals, contradicting Trump’s repeated campaign promises not to target law-abiding undocumented immigrants.
Access to the detainee roster has been denied to reporters, further obscuring transparency.
The facility’s construction was already controversial, drawing environmental protests for its impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Now, human rights concerns are amplifying the backlash.
Lindsey claims she was fired after being falsely accused of altering medical paperwork, shortly after gathering evidence of the facility’s conditions. She says she has yet to be paid for her work. GardaWorld, which received a $38 million contract to staff the site, has not commented.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has also not responded to media inquiries.
With its swelling costs, ecological criticisms, and allegations of inhumane treatment, Alligator Alcatraz is now under even heavier scrutiny, not just from immigrant rights groups, but from critics accusing Trump of breaking his own promises.