State Lawmakers to sue state over barred Alligator Alcatraz visit

After having a visit denied at the new detention center dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, state lawmakers are now promising to fight back. “There is a grift taking place, but there’s serious concern on the environmental impact of building this infrastructure in the Everglades,” said State Representative Anna Eskamani on Friday.

Eskamani, alongside State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith and a slew of other state lawmakers, visited the facility on Friday but were turned away by guards at the gate. The Florida Department of Emergency Management cited safety concerns. “If it’s unsafe for us to tour, then how is it safe for detainees?” said Eskamani. “How is it any safer for the staff who work there right now?”

Their visit comes as the facility welcomes its first round of detainees, and as about 200 marines were deployed to help ICE with administrative operations, the Northern Command announced.

Alligator Alcatraz will be able to house up to 3,000 undocumented immigrants in the process of deportation, and it will cost the state about 450 million dollars to operate – that’s about twice what it costs to run the Orange County jail.

The governor says the Department of Homeland Security is expected to reimburse the money, but a lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday shows the federal government has not committed to do that.

The controversial facility also faces backlash from environmental groups, who claim the operation will be harmful to the wildlife and native lands in the Florida Everglades.

There are also questions about who’s really running the facility, and what procedures are in place. “For example, if you are experiencing a loved one being detained, how can you speak to them? How can he access them? No answer. If you are the attorney for someone detained, how do you access your client? No, answer,” explained Eskamani.

The governor says DHS is expected to reimburse the money, but a lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday shows the federal government has not committed to do that. “We’re gonna be activating our oversight as aggressively as possible,” said the state lawmaker who’s now vowing a possible lawsuit against the state in order to get access to the center. “And though we were denied access this week, we do expect to come back, and we are exploring all legal options if we are denied access in the future.”

Two similar facilities are expected to open in Florida soon. One is at Camp Blanding in Jacksonville. Construction should start next week. Channel 9 has also learned there are official plans to open a third facility, this one in the Panhandle, but no timeline has been set for that yet.

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