Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report released Monday found 79 detainees were placed in small metal enclosures of about 18 square feet between July 17, 2025 and Jan. 18, 2026 for periods from several minutes to nearly two hours.
- The OIG called the use of those enclosures “highly unconventional” and documented failures on medical care, food service, personal hygiene, environmental health and recreation, plus housing that provided about 28 square feet per person versus the 75‑square‑foot standard.
- Inspectors photographed indoor and outdoor metal enclosures staff labeled “calming areas,” and the report noted at least one instance in which an enclosure appeared to be used for punishment.
- The site was a rapid, state‑run expansion of detention capacity opened in July 2025 with federal involvement and closed in mid‑2026 after mounting criticism and high operating costs, and the OIG’s corrective recommendations were administratively closed because the facility shut.
- Legal battles and congressional oversight continue, and the report’s confirmation of cramped, unsanitary conditions and restricted water, showers and recreation is likely to shape pending lawsuits and further federal inquiries.