OCHOPEE — An employee at the Everglades ICE detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" has described the conditions as "inhumane." Meanwhile, a federal judge sided with conservation groups and granted a temporary restraining order ordering the state of Florida and the Trump administration to stop further construction of the facility.
"When I got there, it was overwhelming," the employee told NBC6. "I thought it would get better. But it just never did."
The employee, who wanted only to be identified as "Lindsey," said she knew that the team would be living in a trailer. However, the report described the conditions as "harsh" for the corrections officers as well as the detainees.
"We had to use the porta-johns," she told NBC6. "We didn’t have hot water half the time. Our bathrooms were backed up."
Lindsay told NBC6 that she contracted COVID after being at the facility for a week and also confirmed accounts from detainees and their family members regarding the conditions of the cages where prisoners are held, describing them as "an oversized kennel."
The cages hold 35 to 38 inmates with about eight cages per tent.
"They have no sunlight," said Lindsey. "There’s no clock in there. They don’t even know what time of the day it is. They have no access to showers. They shower every other day or every four days."
Reporting from Status Coup News broke allegations from detainees accusing guards of "beating," "groping," and otherwise abusing them in descriptions that sounded eerily similar to those at Abu Ghraib, a prison complex operated by U.S. military forces during the Iraq War.
The injunction means that new construction, including filling, paving, installation of new infrastructure, and installation of new lighting, must cease immediately for 14 days while the parties complete their hearing on the conservation groups' motion for a preliminary injunction. The lawsuit, initially filed by the groups on June 27, will be allowed to proceed.
"We welcome the court’s decision to pause construction on this deeply concerning project," said Talbert Cypress, Chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, who joined the case. "The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people. While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades."
Conservation groups worry not only about the inhumane conditions of the facility, but its impact on sensitive ecological lands in the area.
"We’re pleased that the judge saw the urgent need to put a pause on additional construction, and we look forward to advancing our ultimate goal of protecting the unique and imperiled Everglades ecosystem from further damage caused by this mass detention facility," said Eve Samples, executive director at Friends of the Everglades, in a release that followed the ruling.
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Cat L
What I've read about DeSantis regarding Guantanamo fits right in with a detainment camp where people are treated badly here.
I'm repulsed by anyone defending these horrors.
Friday, August 8, 2025 Report this
lib224
Republican's own little concentration camp. So sad and angering that our country has come to this!
Friday, August 8, 2025 Report this
pdsinc
These complaints are coming from those that have no regard for the laws of our country ???
Friday, August 8, 2025 Report this
serenowens
All this puts a lie to DeSantis' protection of the Everglades rhetoric!
Monday, August 11, 2025 Report this
Charlene
Every person regardless of status deserves to be treated humanely, but this "shoot first ask questions later" concentration camp and the bootlicking supporters only care when *they* are denied due process and humane treatment. Sociopaths. The Constitution that these people haven't read protects PEOPLE, not just citizens. It counts PEOPLE, not just citizens, because PEOPLE need representation and service. It was flawed - 3/5 compromise, anyone? - but it has been improved over time. Every criminal gets certain protections from the state. It's not about "regard for the laws," since by definition criminals don't regard the laws. But bootlickers want to toss those protections aside in the name of expediency to appease their hatred, even when the costs to do this fascist nightmare far exceed the costs of migrants being here.
Thursday, August 14, 2025 Report this