Florida Democrats have introduced legislation aimed at shutting down the migrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz," which has grabbed headlines over the past days due to its remote location and alleged mistreatment there.
The bill is called the "No Cages in the Everglades Act" and led by Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. It seeks to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating or funding the facility, as well as any other "immigration detention facility located within or adjacent to the Everglades ecosystem."
"Trump and Ron DeSantis have exploited legal ambiguity around this Everglades internment camp to avoid any scrutiny of abuses there," the lawmaker said in a statement.
"Our bill would shut down this atrocity, strengthen oversight of detention facilities nationwide, and mandate public reporting on costs, conditions, and the treatment of detainees, as well as report on any harms to the environment and nearby tribal lands," it adds.
The Miami Herald, however, noted that the bill is unlikely to be successful, considering Republicans control the Lower House.
Democratic lawmakers, toured the facility this past weekend. Built in just over a week on a remote airstrip in the Everglades, is designed to hold up to 3,000 detainees as part of a broader push by state and federal officials to expand immigration enforcement.
"There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. She was quoted by CNN saying "they are essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage."
Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) told the outlet that the lawmakers were concerned about reports of unhygienic conditions due to toilets not working and "feces being spread everywhere," while Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) raised alarms over flooding risks in the low-lying area, particularly during hurricane season. He described the site as "a cruel political stunt."
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly defended the practices at the complex, stating in a recent post on X that "ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens" and that "all detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members."
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