THE EVERGLADES, Fla. – Family members of detainees and South Florida nonprofit advocates gathered at the gate of the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades on Tuesday morning to demand it be shut down, claiming the conditions inside are inhumane.
One advocate described the facility as “a cage” and said, “It’s for dogs.”
Family members expressed concerns, with one mother stating that her son, a detainee, is being treated like he is in a concentration camp. She claimed he has not been given medication or adequate medical care to treat an infection.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back against these claims during a visit to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday. He dismissed some complaints from detainees, noting, “They were mad that the ham sandwiches weren’t toasted. Excuse me?!”
The governor expressed confidence that detainees are being treated fairly and stated that the Department of Homeland Security would handle any legal claims.
He characterized the critics as seeking notoriety and said, “It’s odd that they’re going in there. You have these representatives. I mean first of all, they’re just trying to get some notoriety, so they are making these claims.”
Gov. DeSantis said he plans to visit Alligator Alcatraz soon.