A Cuban who arrived in the United States at just 11 years old and lived in the country for 47 years reported being confined for over 15 hours in a small metal cage at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration center in Florida after he began to pray aloud while another detainee was experiencing an epileptic seizure.
Raúl Suárez reported to Noticias Telemundo that the incident occurred during the intake process at the center.
"A boy, shortly after they had tied us down to the floor on a bench to register us, had an epileptic seizure. Everyone began to shout, and I just stood there watching. Then what I did was start to pray," he recounted.
According to Suárez, after an ambulance arrived, the agents asked him which country he was from.
"I told them: 'Cuba.' And when I said that, they picked me up and dragged me to that little cell," he assured.
The Cuban stated that he was forcefully taken to the metal structure. "I was brought there tied up. They removed the chains and threw me inside, pushed me against the fence, and I fell to the floor," he said.
Suárez described the space as so small that he could not lie down.
"That's horrifying. I was there. I couldn't even lie down on the floor, there wasn't enough space inside. You can stand, but you can't lie down," he recalled.
According to his testimony, he remained locked up from around one in the afternoon until five the next morning, without receiving food and exposed to mosquitoes and snakes.
His complaint takes on special significance after the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a report that confirmed the use of these cages in Alligator Alcatraz.
The investigation determined that at least 79 detainees were held in those facilities between July 2025 and January 2026, describing the practice as "very unconventional."
The outer cells measured only 16 square feet, while the inner ones were 18, compared to the 37 square feet specified in ICE standards for an individual cell.
The records reviewed by the investigators indicated durations of up to two hours. If confirmed, Suárez's account would suggest significantly longer periods of confinement.
Another Cuban interviewed by Telemundo, Reinaldo López, also reported on the conditions he endured during the nearly three months he was detained in the facility.
"Those cells, in reality, a person should never have been there. They are like chicken wire," he stated. "What was experienced in there was hell."
López described metal mesh enclosures covered with tarps where up to 72 people stayed.
Both Cubans also reported insufficient food, little time to eat, and difficulties communicating with relatives and accessing legal counsel.
López, who had lived for 36 years in the United States, was detained when he attended an immigration appointment. According to Telemundo, he suffers from chronic kidney disease and needs surgery. Suárez requires surgery for a hernia and is receiving psychiatric care following his experience in custody.
The two were deported to Mexico and are currently living in a shelter in Sonora with humanitarian visas while they try to regularize their situation.
The conditions in Alligator Alcatraz had previously been reported by human rights organizations. Amnesty International described the use of cages in December 2025 as a form of torture, while these allegations prompted inquiries in the U.S. Congress.
For Suárez, who spent practically his entire life in the United States before being deported to Mexico, what happened is still difficult to process.
"Everything happened in an instant. I'm still not processing it," he summarized.
Las denuncias sobre las condiciones en centros de detención migratoria como Alligator Alcatraz forman parte de un panorama más amplio que seguimos de cerca. Mantente informado en nuestra sección de
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