Dozens of emergency calls made from inside the federal detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz are offering a rare look at what’s happening behind the walls of one of the nation’s most controversial immigration facilities.
The nearly 70 calls were released to CBS News Miami after a public records request to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
They include reports of medical emergencies, internal confusion over procedures, and a large number of accidental 911 calls placed from staff members’ phones.
Medical issues and unclear protocols
Among the most serious calls was one requesting help for someone who had fallen:
Caller: “Hey, I was wondering if we can get EMS out to the jet port. The Miami Collier jet port. They totally tripped and busted their face.”
Another emergency involved a woman experiencing distress:
Operator: “Is she still actively choking?”
Caller: “She is not, she’s like, she passed out and she’s breathing again and she’s kind of going in and out.”
It remains unclear whether that call was regarding a detainee or a staff member.
Other calls reflected uncertainty about security protocols.
Caller: “Calling from over here at Alligator Alcatraz Dispatch.”
Operator: “Yes ma’am?”
Caller: “I have my watch commander here wanting one of your watch commanders to give him a call in reference to how you all handle trespassing.”
In a separate case, the mother of a detainee’s children called from Miami-Dade County, using a translator to report a possible stroke:
Translator to Dispatch: “A security guard called saying he had like a little stroke and he can’t feel his arm.”
Lawsuits and lack of transparency
Several lawsuits—including a class action—have been filed over conditions at Alligator Alcatraz and the limited access detainees have to legal representation.
Despite growing concerns, only staff have been allowed to see the inside of the facility, which is housed on the grounds of the former Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades.
Roughly 30 of the 911 calls reviewed were accidental dials from staff phones.
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue confirmed it has not responded to any emergency calls from the facility.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News she hopes to open more detention centers modeled after Alligator Alcatraz.
