Five Democratic state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), claiming he overstepped his authority by denying them access to the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility earlier this month.
The lawmakers argued that the move unlawfully obstructed their oversight responsibilities, The Hill reported.
“The DeSantis Administration’s refusal to let us in wasn’t some bureaucratic misstep,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement, per The Associated Press. “It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what’s really happening behind those gates.”
The lawmakers were turned away from the state-run detention facility on Saturday, located deep in the Florida Everglades. In their lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court, the plaintiffs argue that state law does not restrict their authority to carry out legislative oversight of the facility.
“There is no statute that permits the Governor to overrule the Legislature’s oversight authority. This lawsuit is about defending the rule of law, protecting vulnerable people inside that facility, and stopping the normalization of executive overreach,” the statement from the lawmakers added.
The group has filed suit against DeSantis and Florida’s emergency management agency chief, Kevin Guthrie, the AP noted.
A spokesperson from DeSantis’s office described the lawsuit as “dumb” and “frivolous.”
However, critics of Democrats argue that their descriptions of the facility have been excessive and exaggerated, as they consistently support illegal aliens over American citizens. Republicans also blame Democrats for inciting violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents tasked with locating and arresting criminal aliens.
The White House and DeSantis, meanwhile, are urging Republican-led states to replicate Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” — a remote detention center for illegal immigrants situated deep in the Everglades.
Several red states are reportedly considering similar facilities, with some already moving forward on construction plans.
“We don’t have alligators, but we have lots of bears. I am not aware of any plans for an Alaska version of Alligator Alcatraz,” representatives for Alaska’s state government told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham earlier this month.
“Dear DHS: We’ve got a swamp and a dream. Let’s talk. South Carolina’s gators are ready. And they’re not big on paperwork. If I was Governor, we’d be bringing Alligator Alcatraz to South Carolina,” South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace posted to X on Tuesday.
Fox News Digital contacted the offices of 26 Republican governors to ask whether they are considering launching their own versions of “Alligator Alcatraz.” A handful — from states ranging from Idaho to South Carolina — responded with details on plans currently in development.
Garrison Douglas, the spokesman for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, told the outlet that the Peach State “has helped lead the way in tackling illegal immigration” and announced plans recently to build the “largest detention facility in the nation.”
“From maintaining the longest continuous National Guard presence at the U.S. southern border of any state to banning sanctuary cities and directing the Georgia Department of Public Safety to enhance its partnership with ICE, under Governor Kemp’s leadership, Georgia has helped lead the way in tackling illegal immigration,” Douglas said.
Sam Dubke, the communications director for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, told Fox that Arkansas is in the process of building a “a new 3,000-bed prison in the state.”
“Governor Sanders is working hand-in-hand with the Trump Administration to deport violent, criminal illegal immigrants, which is why she signed the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act earlier this year to put tough new penalties on illegal immigrants who commit additional crimes while in Arkansas and facilitate greater collaboration between Arkansas law enforcement and federal immigration officials, and is in the process of building a new 3,000-bed prison in the state,” Dubke said.
Brandon Charochak, spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, added: “South Carolina’s law enforcement and National Guard continue to collaborate and participate with federal officials on illegal immigration enforcement and deportation.”