Democratic lawmakers finally entered Florida’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center on Saturday after being blocked earlier. What they saw horrified them, according to reports.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called conditions “vile,” with 32 men crammed into cage-like units sharing just three toilet-sinks. Temperatures hit 83°F in supposedly air-conditioned areas, with grasshoppers swarming everywhere.
Though guards prevented direct talks with detainees, Rep. Maxwell Frost heard shouts of “I’m an American!” and chants of “Libertad!” (freedom). Florida Democrats had sued to access the facility after being turned away on July 3.
Republicans defend facility as ‘secure’
Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia saw the same facility differently, calling it “well-run” with clean quarters and working AC.
He dismissed Democrats’ criticism as exaggerated: “It’s a detention center, not the Four Seasons” . Florida officials insist the site meets all standards, providing three meals daily, showers, and medical care .
The Everglades camp, built in 8 days, holds up to 3,000 detainees and was praised by former President Trump during his July 3 visit . Its nickname references both the infamous prison and DeSantis’ joke that escaping would require “running from alligators”.
Detainees report maggots, no showers, and despair
Before the tour, detainees described grim conditions in phone calls. Leamsy La Figura, a Cuban musician, said food contained maggots, water for bathing was unavailable for days, and stadium-like lights burned 24/7.
A Colombian man reported withheld medication and confiscated Bibles, saying “They told us there’s no right to religion here”.
Families echoed these claims, with one detainee’s wife calling treatment “horrible” and noting toilets overflowed onto floors.