OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers participated in a state-organized tour of the newly constructed Everglades immigration detention center on Saturday. This facility, informally dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," was previously inaccessible to lawmakers, leading to controversy surrounding oversight and transparency. A significant number of Democratic and Republican state legislators, along with members of Congress, attended the tour, necessitating their division into multiple groups to explore the expansive 3,000-bed facility situated on a remote airstrip amidst swampland.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders have promoted this temporary detention center as a swift and robust response to former President Donald Trump's advocacy for mass deportations. The facility, characterized by a combination of tents, trailers, and other temporary structures, was rapidly established, with the first detainees arriving on July 3, soon after Trump visited and commended the location. This facility aims to assist in enhancing the U.S. migrant detention capacity from 41,000 to a minimum of 100,000 individuals, aligning with the Trump administration's immigration policies.
The center's remote positioning, along with its name referencing the infamous Alcatraz prison in California, carries an implicit message intended to deter illegal immigration. Prior to its opening, state officials assured that detainees would have access to essential services, including medical care, sufficient air conditioning, recreational areas, and consultations with attorneys and clergy members.
However, reports from detainees, their families, and advocates depict the conditions within the facility as dire, citing issues such as worm-infested food, overflowing toilets, rampant mosquitoes, and air conditioning outages during the sweltering South Florida summer. One detainee reportedly informed his wife about the lack of showers for days. In response to these allegations, Florida Division of Emergency Management spokesperson Stephanie Hartman firmly labeled the descriptions as "completely false," asserting that detainees receive three meals daily, unlimited drinking water, and necessary hygiene facilities.
Initially, five Democratic state lawmakers attempted to inspect the site but were denied entry upon its inauguration on July 3. Following that incident, the state arranged the Saturday tour. The lawmakers have since filed a lawsuit regarding their denied access, claiming that DeSantis's administration is obstructing their oversight authority. A spokesperson for DeSantis has dismissed the lawsuit as "dumb."
As Democratic officials approached the facility for the tour, they expressed skepticism about receiving an unfiltered perspective of the conditions. U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz pointed out that their visit was motivated by a desire to pose questions and gauge the structure and conditions firsthand.
