A new detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” is now operational in the Florida Everglades, but not everyone is being allowed inside for a look at the conditions.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she was denied entry to the site Thursday after spending more than two hours attempting to gain access alongside other Democratic lawmakers.
“Have you ever showed up at a detention facility and been told you can’t come in? No,” Eskamani said during a Zoom interview on her way back to Central Florida. “It was very unclear who was in charge. We were told to speak to the Department of Emergency Management, and their general counsel hung up on us after we asked for more clarity.”
The Florida Division of Emergency Management posted on social media Thursday that the first group of detainees had arrived at the site, which it says was “stood up in record time.” Officials say the facility, which was built in just eight days, can hold up to 3,000 detainees and is secured with 200 surveillance cameras and 400 personnel.
Gov. Ron DeSantis toured the facility Tuesday alongside President Donald Trump. It is located roughly 50 miles west of Miami.
“This is a temporary facility to be able to meet the needs of President Trump’s program,” DeSantis said during the tour.
Eskamani, who traveled to the facility with several other Democratic lawmakers, said she hoped to assess the safety and conditions firsthand.
“My concern is if this building is unsafe for me to tour, then how is it safe to be detaining hundreds of immigrants, let alone have individuals working in that environment?” she said.
Eskamani said she believes she was denied entry because officials “didn’t want us to see how horrifying these standards are. If they had nothing to hide, they would have let us come see.”
She said she is now exploring possible legal options to gain access to the facility.
News 6 reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment and is awaiting a response.