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Monday, Jul 14, 2025
Outside the box.
Lawmakers Report Overcrowded Conditions at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Facility
Detainees reportedly confined in tents under high heat, limited food, and restricted access to legal and medical care.
Florida lawmakers were allowed limited access to a migrant detention facility in the Everglades, known colloquially as 'Alligator Alcatraz', after previously being denied entry.
The temporary site, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, was established under an executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis and is currently holding approximately 900 detainees, with a capacity for 3,000.
The delegation included U.S. Representatives and state officials who described the facility as overcrowded and operating under conditions they characterised as inadequate.
During the visit, lawmakers were reportedly not permitted to view areas currently housing detainees.
Instead, they were shown unoccupied cells.
Lawmakers stated that detainees were being held in cages, with up to 32 individuals per enclosure.
Toilets and sinks were located within the same confined spaces and were reportedly used for both sanitation and drinking water.
In a press conference following the visit, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described hearing detainees calling out for help and freedom in Spanish.
She expressed concerns over food quality, noting that while government staff received cooked meals, detainees were served cold sandwiches with minimal nutritional value.
Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost raised concerns about sanitation, citing reports of malfunctioning toilets and unsanitary conditions, but said lawmakers were not allowed to inspect the occupied units.
He added that medical facilities were also off-limits to the delegation, with officials citing privacy regulations.
Representative Darren Soto noted signs of flooding and warned of potential risks during Florida’s hurricane season.
Lawmakers raised questions about the facility's rapid setup timeline and the safety of housing migrants in a remote and ecologically fragile location.
A woman whose husband, a Guatemalan national, is detained at the facility described conditions in line with the lawmakers’ observations.
She stated that her husband, who was transferred from the Dania Beach Jail after being detained during a fishing trip, had limited access to showers, faced mosquito infestations, and reported power outages due to reliance on generators.
She said he has not yet had access to a lawyer.
The facility was constructed in eight days and opened following a state emergency declaration on illegal immigration.
Former President Donald Trump visited the site, describing the speed of its construction as 'incredible' and citing it as a model for similar operations in other states.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, has not commented on specific allegations but stated in a public message that ICE facilities meet or exceed U.S. prison standards.
The agency noted that detainees receive meals, medical care, and opportunities for legal and family communication.
The temporary site, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, was established under an executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis and is currently holding approximately 900 detainees, with a capacity for 3,000.
The delegation included U.S. Representatives and state officials who described the facility as overcrowded and operating under conditions they characterised as inadequate.
During the visit, lawmakers were reportedly not permitted to view areas currently housing detainees.
Instead, they were shown unoccupied cells.
Lawmakers stated that detainees were being held in cages, with up to 32 individuals per enclosure.
Toilets and sinks were located within the same confined spaces and were reportedly used for both sanitation and drinking water.
In a press conference following the visit, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described hearing detainees calling out for help and freedom in Spanish.
She expressed concerns over food quality, noting that while government staff received cooked meals, detainees were served cold sandwiches with minimal nutritional value.
Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost raised concerns about sanitation, citing reports of malfunctioning toilets and unsanitary conditions, but said lawmakers were not allowed to inspect the occupied units.
He added that medical facilities were also off-limits to the delegation, with officials citing privacy regulations.
Representative Darren Soto noted signs of flooding and warned of potential risks during Florida’s hurricane season.
Lawmakers raised questions about the facility's rapid setup timeline and the safety of housing migrants in a remote and ecologically fragile location.
A woman whose husband, a Guatemalan national, is detained at the facility described conditions in line with the lawmakers’ observations.
She stated that her husband, who was transferred from the Dania Beach Jail after being detained during a fishing trip, had limited access to showers, faced mosquito infestations, and reported power outages due to reliance on generators.
She said he has not yet had access to a lawyer.
The facility was constructed in eight days and opened following a state emergency declaration on illegal immigration.
Former President Donald Trump visited the site, describing the speed of its construction as 'incredible' and citing it as a model for similar operations in other states.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, has not commented on specific allegations but stated in a public message that ICE facilities meet or exceed U.S. prison standards.
The agency noted that detainees receive meals, medical care, and opportunities for legal and family communication.
