Family members of detainees and South Florida advocacy groups rallied Tuesday morning outside the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, calling for its closure over what they described as inhumane conditions inside.
Family members voiced serious concerns, with one mother comparing her son’s treatment at the facility to that of a concentration camp. She also claimed he has been denied necessary medication and has not received proper medical care for an ongoing infection, News6 in Orlando, Fla., reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back against the allegations during a visit to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, dismissing many of the complaints from detainees as exaggerated or unfounded.
“They were mad that the ham sandwiches weren’t toasted. Excuse me?!” he said at one point.
The governor said he was confident detainees are being treated appropriately and noted that any legal claims would be addressed by the Department of Homeland Security.
He also accused Democrats and left-wing groups seeking access to the facility as fabricating claims for “notoriety.”
“It’s odd that they’re going in there. You have these representatives. I mean first of all, they’re just trying to get some notoriety, so they are making these claims,” he said, noting that he’ll be visiting the facility soon as well.
“DHS required there to be certain things,” DeSantis added. “I know the legal was a part of that. There is recreation. I know that people say there’s not and there is. I’m confident that whatever’s required will be provided.”
“First of all, they’re fed the same as the staff is fed,” the GOP governor continued. “It’s not a prison; it’s a deportation processing center, so it is different.”
“But, like in Florida prisons, do you think the prisoners get the same meals as the guards? No, of course not. It’s different,” he said, adding: “Listen, everyone’s the same there.”
Florida’s top emergency management official has also fired back at Democrats who tried to manufacture outrage over the state’s new illegal migrant detention facility.
Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” and said the political theater on display during a bipartisan tour of the facility was off the charts.
More than 60 lawmakers showed up over a recent weekend, but Guthrie said some came to act, not observe.
“Absolutely,” Guthrie said when asked if anyone was trying to stir up controversy. “One of my favorites was an individual who had an infrared thermometer and pointed it at a light bulb. And it was 110 degrees. I said, ‘Let’s actually pull that down to where the ambient air is at, and not point it at the light bulb.’”
Democrats also complained about the toilet setup. Guthrie made it clear that the facility meets or exceeds all standards, state and national.
“This is a standard lock-up toilet system that’s in any secured facility,” he said. “There is a sink there, there is a toilet there. Whether you’re brushing your teeth or using the restroom, it’s a restroom. That’s what people do.”
Then came the turkey sandwich drama. Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz reportedly described it as “gray” — without even opening the wrapper.
“That might be one of my favorites,” Guthrie said. “She was about six feet away from the turkey sandwich box, that was in a wrapper, so I don’t know how she could tell it was gray. But let’s be honest — hospital food, school lunches under Michelle Obama’s program — it’s the same thing. Nobody’s getting filet mignon.”
Earlier this month, five state Democratic lawmakers filed a lawsuit against DeSantis alleging he illegally denied them access to the facility. The lawmakers argued that the move unlawfully obstructed their oversight responsibilities, The Hill reported.