News: ACLU

Siyourae, while Florida's GOP sells "Alligator Alcatraz" merch, real people are suffering.

Here's what we've heard in just the first week since it's been opened: The facility has flooded. Massive swarms of mosquitoes fill the air. Detainees report that there are maggots in their food, the lights are on 24/7, and they're being denied basic medical care, showers, and religious rights. Its remote location makes legal and family visits nearly impossible – isolating detainees even further from the outside world.

This sounds less like a government facility and more like something out of a dystopian horror story. Our government is sending a clear message that they don't care about human dignity – and they won't even allow government officials to conduct unannounced oversight into this potential human rights violation.

So we're sending a message back: Tell Congress to demand access to "Alligator Alcatraz" and stop any federal funds from being used for this inhumane facility until it is shut down.

Take Action

No person should be subjected to the conditions we've seen in immigration detention facilities like this one.

And there's worse to come. In hurricane season, the facility runs the high risk of flooding again – and its location makes evacuation near-impossible. The entire plan of “Alligator Alcatraz” dehumanizes immigrants in the name of state-sponsored cruelty.

We shouldn't wait for tragedy. This facility is a recipe for disaster – especially during hurricane season, when flooding could turn confinement into catastrophe.

Our government must end this cruelty. Take action now.

The ACLU Team