Florida Democrats Denied Entry to the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Illegal Alien Detention Facility [WATCH]

A group of Florida Democratic lawmakers was denied access Thursday to the newly opened “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility in the Everglades, with state officials citing safety concerns as the reason for the refusal.

The attempt to visit the facility occurred just one day after the first group of illegal immigrants was transported to the site, which is located near Ochopee, Florida.

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The visit was unannounced and not coordinated with facility management or law enforcement.

The lawmakers denied entry included Florida state Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, and state Representatives Anna Eskamani, Angie Nixon, and Michele Rayner.

Democrats showed up demanding access to Alligator Alcatraz and were denied entry 😂

Imagine if they cared this much about homeless veterans or hurricane victims pic.twitter.com/LXWWStf7jc

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 3, 2025

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In a statement posted to social media, Sen. Jones criticized the decision to block their access, saying, “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.”

Access DENIED!

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. pic.twitter.com/DiyIcOfnV0

— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) July 3, 2025

Rep. Rayner questioned the facility’s security standards, stating, “We asked the question, ‘If it’s unsafe for us, how is it safe for anybody else?’” she told journalist Forrest Saunders.

Update: Lawmakers on the ground tell me that they’ve been denied access to “Alligator Alcatraz” facility due to “safety concerns.”

“We asked the question if it’s unsafe for us, how is it safe for anybody else,” said @micheleforfl.

— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) July 3, 2025

According to Saunders, the legislators were told their statutory oversight only applies to institutions under the Florida Department of Corrections, county detention facilities, and those managed by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Officials reportedly informed them that “Alligator Alcatraz” does not fall under those categories.

The facility, a joint project between the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Homeland Security, is capable of housing up to 5,000 detainees, although it currently holds around 3,000, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Construction of the site was completed in just eight days. It employs approximately 1,000 staff members and is surrounded by 20,000 feet of barbed wire. The annual operating cost is projected at $450 million.

Rep. Smith called the facility a “detention camp” and used the visit to call for investigations into alleged contract irregularities.

“The corrupt pay-to-play contracts to GOP donors must be exposed,” Smith wrote on social media.

“We’re here to demand answers.”

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who proposed the facility’s development, responded to the visit with sarcasm.

“I hope they have an airboat,” he said Thursday morning, referencing the swamp terrain surrounding the site.

I hope they have an air boat. https://t.co/IZL545ZGxX

— James Uthmeier (@JamesUthmeierFL) July 3, 2025

President Donald Trump, Governor Ron DeSantis, and several other Republican officials visited the facility earlier this week for its official opening.

The president toured the site on Tuesday afternoon and praised its isolated location in the Everglades as effective for preventing escapes.

“It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate, because I look outside and it’s not a place I want to go,” Trump said during remarks at the facility.

“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swamp land, and the only way out is really deportation.”

Environmental organizations have filed lawsuits to halt or delay further construction, citing concerns about the ecological impact of the detention center.

On Thursday, the Department of Justice responded by filing a motion to prevent any construction delays tied to pending litigation.

“The Department of Justice has defended President Trump’s immigration agenda in court since day one,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.

“And we are proud to protect ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from baseless, politically motivated legal schemes.”

The facility is part of the Trump administration’s larger immigration enforcement expansion following the passage of the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The site is expected to play a key role in ongoing deportation operations and border enforcement efforts.

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