WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A prominent, human rights organization released a damning 61-page report condemning immigration detention facilities in South Florida, detailing alleged torture and inhumane conditions at two facilities.
WATCH BELOW: 'People are put in this cage as a form of punishment,' Amy Fischer tells WPTV's Chief Investigative Reporter Jamie Ostroff
Amnesty International USA released the report, titled "Torture and Enforced Disappearances in the Sunshine State," which examines conditions at Miami's federally-run Krome North Service Processing Center and the state-run Alligator Alcatraz facility.
The organization claims what occurs in both facilities fits international definitions of torture and is calling for reforms to state and federal immigration enforcement. They are also demanding that Alligator Alcatraz be shut down entirely.
Allegations of torture and inhumane conditions
The report details disturbing allegations about conditions at Alligator Alcatraz, including systemic medical neglect, small food portions that are "sometimes full of maggots," and detainees "unclogging toilets with their hands." The report also claims detainees are shackled any time they're removed from their cages.
"Nobody should be treated like that. Everybody has human rights, regardless of where you're born," said Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA. "I think immigration detention has long been cruel and unjust in the United States. However, I think the thing that we have been seeing is a real intention to make the conditions as cruel as possible, so that people just want to give up and sign their own deportation.”
WATCH BELOW: Attorneys detail 'inhumane' conditions at ICE's Krome Detention Center
Fischer and her team traveled to South Florida in September to investigate conditions at both facilities. While they gained access to the Krome facility, they were denied access to Alligator Alcatraz but spoke with people who had previously been detained there, as well as attorneys, advocates and families.
The report alleges that detainees at Krome suffer from medical neglect, verbal abuse and beatings from guards, as well as prolonged use of solitary confinement.
Amnesty International recounted an encounter that took place with a detainee during the organization's tour of Krome in the report:
"A man being held in solitary confinement put a sign through the metal flap opening in the door saying, 'Help Me. I’m on Hunger Strike,'” the report says. "The man showed Amnesty his bruised and mangled hand and said he had been waiting 37 days to receive medical attention for his hand. As the man was describing his injuries, an ICE official repeatedly and violently slammed the metal flap against the injured man’s hands and forced Amnesty International out of the solitary confinement area stating, 'This is a detained population. They can be dangerous. Allow security to do their jobs, also he’s not on a hunger strike.'"
At Alligator Alcatraz, the organization describes what it calls "torture" in the form of a two-by-two box used for punishment.
"People are put in this cage as a form of punishment. People told us that people were put in the cage for asking for medical care, asking for help, for medical care for others, asking for food," Fischer told WPTV. "People are then put in this cage with their arms and their feet shackled and chained to the ground outside in the hot Florida sun for hours at a time without food or water. Based upon our learnings of the box, Amnesty has made the conclusion that the box meets the definition of torture under international law."
Government agencies decline to respond
WPTV contacted multiple government agencies for comment on the report's allegations, including ICE, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Prior to the story airing, none of those agencies responded to detailed questions about the claims, including allegations of in-custody deaths made by former Alligator Alcatraz detainees who were interviewed for the report.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded to our inquiries about the Amnesty International report after our story aired.
"Another day and another hoax about Alligator Alcatraz. Nearly every single day, my office responds to media questions on FALSE allegations about Alligator Alcatraz," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in an email. "The media is clearly desperate for these allegations of inhumane conditions at this facility to be true. Here are the facts: Alligator Alcatraz does meet federal detention standards. All detainee facilities are clean. Any allegations of inhumane conditions are FALSE."
McLaughlin said detainees are "provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers," and denied that detainees are being held in solitary confinement. She blamed claims of detainee mistreatment for assaults on ICE personnel.
However, the press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statement dismissing the report:
"This 'report' is nothing more than a politically motivated attack. None of these fabrications are true. In fact, running these allegations without any evidence whatsoever could jeopardize the safety and security of our staff and those being housed at Alligator Alcatraz."
Many of the claims in the report are consistent with information gathered over several months from detainees' families and lawyers. However, some allegations, including "the box" punishment method, are being reported for the first time. No in-custody deaths at Alligator Alcatraz have been independently confirmed.
Fischer said Amnesty International plans to discuss its report with members of Congress.
"Our intent for this report is to be able to provide some public oversight, so that people around the country understand what is being done with their taxpayer dollars," Fischer said. "Our hope is that international mechanisms can work to bring the United States to account.”
Ongoing legal challenges
Two major federal lawsuits are currently pending against Alligator Alcatraz. While Amnesty International is not involved in the ongoing litigation, they cited both lawsuits among their sources of information in the report.
An environmental lawsuit filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe is resuming proceedings after being put on hold during the government shutdown. A separate lawsuit filed by the ACLU, claiming that detainees' civil rights are being violated, is currently in confidential settlement talks.
Read the full 61-page report from Amnesty International USA below:
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.