Many detainees at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention center have no criminal record.
The Miami Herald obtained a list of over 700 individuals who are either held or are en route to the camp in the Florida Everglades. Of these, more than 250 detainees have immigration violations, but do not have any criminal charges in the United States.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has not made any prior list available to the public through the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Only 40 detainees on the list of 747 people were searchable in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainee locator, per the outlet.
The facility, surrounded by the swamps of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, has drawn intense criticism from politicians, lawyers, and the public. Detainees describe the facility as “horrible,” and decry the camp’s poor conditions and rotten food. Trump administration officials have called the personal accounts “untrue.”
President Donald Trump previously called the swampland detention center a processing area for “some of the most vicious people on the planet,” and described prospective detainees as “deranged psychopaths.”
Florida Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, who’s district includes Ochopee, could not be reached for comment at the time of writing. Florida Junior Senator Ashley Moody likewise did not respond to an inquiry from Salon.com.
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