Florida lawmakers on Saturday, July 12, toured what some have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” after state and federal officials allowed access to the new immigration detention center for the first time. The Associated Press reported that five Democratic lawmakers sued Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for entry on Thursday, July 10, after being denied access on July 3.
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State law grants elected officials the right to visit state institutions without prior notice. Scripps News reported that U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, said the legislators initially wanted to make an unannounced visit. They believe, though, that the state of Florida heard about their plans and arranged a controlled tour instead.
“They should not put humans in cages in the middle of swampland in the Florida Everglades. It’s outrageous. It’s inhumane,” Wasserman Schultz said, according to Scripps.
President Donald Trump toured the facility July 1. “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swamp land, and the only way out is really deportation,” Trump said during a news conference following the tour.
The facility, which currently holds 3,000 people and has the capacity for up to 5,000, is now the largest immigration detention center in the United States. Migrants are housed in dormitories surrounded by fencing and barbed wire.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also joined Trump’s tour, describing the project as a partnership between Florida and the federal government to “make America safe again.”
According to officials, the first detainees arrived on July 2. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, on July 6, thanked sheriff’s departments across the state for their role in transporting individuals to the center. “Florida’s Sheriffs work across the state to keep Florida safe, strong, and free. It’s an honor to support them,” Uthmeier said.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Uthmeier’s office said, “This group of murderers, rapists, and gang members are just a small sample of the deranged psychopaths that Florida is helping President Trump and his administration remove from our country.”
Several detainees have reported unsanitary conditions inside the facility, including days without showers or access to prescription medication. According to the Associated Press, detainees told family members that food contained worms, toilets did not flush, floors were flooded with fecal waste, and mosquitoes were pervasive.
Stephanie Hartman, spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, disputed those claims, stating, “The reporting on the conditions in the facility is completely false. The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order.”
