A new report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's watchdog Office of the Inspector General found issues with standards and extended confinement of inmates at the now-closed Everglades detention center.
The report issued Friday said that inspectors making an unannounced inspection of the site near Ochopee in January found that detention center staff could not clearly identify which detention standards they used for holding detainees on immigration-related charges.
The report said: "At the time of our inspection in January 2026, Florida Soft-Sided Facility (FSSF) staff could not clearly identify which detention standards they used for holding detainees on immigration-related charges. The absence of well-defined standards at detention facilities increases the risk that detainees may not receive appropriate care. Due to the lack of clarity regarding applicable standards, when we identified a concern during our inspection, we reviewed both the Florida Model Jail Standards and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) National Detention Standards 2019 and applied the more restrictive standard to support our findings."
The report also said that the warden and the staff supplied different answers on what standards were being used: "When we asked the warden and staff which standards they used, we received inconsistent answers. ... FSSF did not provide any written policy, procedure, agreement, or contract specifying the standards it followed, which undermines accountability and consistent application of detention standards."
Inspectors found that staff confined 79 detainees in small metal enclosures — each offering about 18 square feet of floor space — for periods up to nearly two hours.
The report outlined the finding as such: "Of note, we found that between July 17, 2025, and January 18, 2026, FSSF confined 79 detainees in small metal enclosures — each offering about 18 square feet of floor space — for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly 2 hours. Use of these small metal enclosures for any reason is unprecedented among detention facilities OIG has inspected and presents significant risks to detainee health and safety."
The report said that staff reported that time spent in the small metal enclosures is closely monitored, and detainees are not locked in, even though the inspectors observed locking mechanisms on the enclosures.
Additionally, the inspection found the center’s staff did not provide detainees with sufficient living space which created cramped conditions for detainees who spent most of their time in their housing units, which could have harmed detainees’ physical and mental health.
The report said: "The applicable standards require at least 75 square feet of floor space per inmate in dormitory housing units. At maximum capacity, the FSSF housing units provided 28 square feet per detainee — well below the required minimum. Detainees spent most of their time in the housing units; they could only leave their units for: • mealtime (three times a day); • recreation (1 hour a day, 3 days a week); • showers (three times a week); and • medical reasons."
A lack of recreational time was also cited: "We found that only detainees in protective custody who did not present a security risk had access to recreation time in the general recreation area for 5 hours per week. Lack of access to recreation may negatively affect physical and mental health."
Investigators also concluded that the center was not in compliance with standards for hygiene, medical care, food, health, and safety.
The Department of Homeland Security DHS contends that Florida — not the department — maintained authority over the facility’s day-to-day operations. The site ceased operations in June.
The report was delayed due to funding: "This report was delayed due to a lapse in appropriation for DHS OIG from February 14, 2026, through April 30, 2026."
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