A damning new report from Amnesty International has accused the United States government of committing serious human rights violations against detainees held at a controversial immigration facility nicknamed 'Alligator' Alcatraz.
Inside the 'Alligator' Alcatraz Facility
The report, published on Wednesday, 4th December 2025, focuses on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing centre in Louisiana, officially known as the River Correctional Center. The facility earned its grim moniker from detainees due to its location in a swampy, alligator-infested area and its reputation for harsh conditions. Amnesty's investigation alleges a pattern of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Key findings include the systemic use of prolonged solitary confinement, sometimes for weeks or months, as a punishment for minor infractions like hunger strikes or verbal complaints. The report documents cases where detainees were held in isolation cells for over 23 hours a day, leading to severe psychological distress. Medical neglect is another major allegation, with claims that individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease were denied adequate care.
Allegations of Abuse and Neglect
Amnesty's researchers conducted interviews with former detainees, their families, and legal representatives. Their accounts paint a picture of a facility where basic rights are routinely ignored. One detainee described being placed in a cold, concrete 'suicide watch' cell for several days without proper clothing or bedding.
The report also highlights the excessive use of force by guards, including incidents where detainees were pepper-sprayed while in their cells. Furthermore, access to legal counsel and fair judicial review is reported to be severely restricted, undermining due process. Many detainees are asylum seekers or migrants, and the conditions are alleged to be part of a deliberate strategy to coerce them into abandoning their legal claims for protection in the US.
International Calls for Accountability and Reform
Amnesty International has stated that these practices violate both US domestic law and international human rights law, including the UN Convention Against Torture. The human rights organisation is calling for immediate and concrete actions from the US authorities.
Their demands include an independent investigation into the abuses, the immediate cessation of solitary confinement for immigration detainees, and improved access to healthcare and legal resources. The report urges the US Congress to exercise greater oversight over ICE detention facilities and to reform the country's immigration detention system, which Amnesty describes as overly punitive and in need of fundamental change.
As of the report's publication, ICE and the US Department of Homeland Security have not issued a formal public response to the specific allegations. The findings are likely to increase scrutiny on the Biden administration's immigration policies and put pressure on officials to address the treatment of individuals in federal detention.
