Democrats Sue DeSantis Over Immigration Detention Facility Access
Five state Democrats filed a lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday after being denied entry to a detention facility referred to as “Crocodile Alcatraz” earlier this month. They assert that the governor lacks the authority to block oversight efforts of immigration detention sites.
The lawmakers expressed in a joint statement that “the DeSantis administration’s refusal to let us in was not a bureaucratic failure. It was a deliberate obstruction to hide what was actually happening behind those gates,” according to the Associated Press.
On July 5, the group was turned away from a detention facility in the Everglades, which is governed by the state. They argue that state law does not restrict efforts to implement legislative oversight of these facilities.
“There is no law that permits the governor to override the supervisory body of the council. This lawsuit aims to uphold the rule of law, protect vulnerable individuals within the facility, and curb enforcement overreach,” stated the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit names both DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, the head of Florida’s Office of Emergency Management.
While DeSantis’ office did not provide an immediate response to inquiries, a spokesperson referred to the lawsuit as “silly,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Democrats have been vocal in their opposition to remote detention facilities, labeling them “cruel and inhumane.”
Earlier this month, Florida State Assemblyman Angie Nixon, one of the plaintiffs, described the facilities as “modern-day concentration camps” established under the Trump administration.
Nixon is joined in the lawsuit by fellow Democrats Anna Escamani, Michele Rayner, and state Senators Shevlin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith.
The detention facility was inaugurated on July 1, with President Trump and Christy Noem of the Department of Homeland Security in attendance. Trump praised the project during its opening.
Additionally, a coalition of environmental organizations previously filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, fearing the facility could jeopardize wildlife in nearby nature reserves.
