A group of five Democratic state lawmakers in Florida said they were denied entry to “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new migrant detention facility, on Thursday due to “safety reasons,“ days after President Trump toured the facility alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
The lawmakers who tried to tour the facility, which opened on Tuesday, included state Democratic Reps. Anna Eskamani, Angie Nixon, and Michele Rayner, along with two state Sens. Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith.
“Florida law gives legislators the authority to make unannounced visits to state-run facilities — to inspect conditions and check on the wellbeing of the people inside. I’ve served in the Legislature for 13 years, and this has never happened,” Jones said in a Thursday post on the social media platform X.
The detention facility, which is projected to cost around $450 million a year, will hold migrants who are arrested in Florida along with those transferred from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Alligator Alcatraz” is set in the Everglades near the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. Trump and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem visited the facility on Tuesday. The site received its first group of migrant detainees on Wednesday.
Prior to the lawmakers’ visit, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) said Thursday on X that he hopes the Florida Democrats have an “air boat.”
The Florida state GOP hammered the five lawmakers.
“We want to thank @AnnaForFlorida @CarlosGSmith @micheleforfl @AngieNixon @ShevrinJones for finally taking an interest in the illegal immigration crisis,” the state party said Thursday on X. “Don’t forget to pick up your swag to support our efforts to undo all of Joe Biden’s failures!”
The state GOP, ahead of Trump’s Tuesday visit, began selling merchandise promoting the Florida detention facility.
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