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Florida’s controversial immigration detention center, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is again under scrutiny after a group of Democratic lawmakers toured the facility over the weekend. Located deep in the Everglades and surrounded by dangerous wildlife, the temporary facility was built by the state at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.
New reports reveal that over 250 of the nearly 700 detainees have no criminal charges, raising concerns about the use of the site for civil immigration violations.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who participated in the tour, said the location was placed in “the middle of the most brutal conditions in the middle of a swamp.” Lawmakers described the visit as heavily controlled and criticized the facility for what they called inhumane treatment.
According to whistleblower accounts and detainees’ legal advocates, people are being housed in cages, subjected to bright lights overnight and served food allegedly infested with bugs.
While critics demand more transparency and accountability, state officials have defended the facility’s operation. Some Republican leaders say the backlash is politically driven and not reflective of the actual conditions inside.
“It’s actually a very well-run facility,” said Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. “The idea that the detainees are in there and they’re in squalid conditions is just not accurate.”
In addition to human rights concerns, environmental groups have filed lawsuits over the site’s location in a protected ecosystem. Despite the backlash, the state is already moving forward with plans to construct a second facility at Camp Blanding in North Florida.
