The Archdiocese of Miami has denounced Florida’s controversial immigration detention facility, which state officials dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”).
In a strong language statement posted on the Archdiocese website, Archbishop Thomas Wensky criticized both the Everglades’ remote detention site and the rhetoric surrounding it.
He writes: “It’s about not protecting civil servants and talking about the value of “crocodile and Pison” deterrent at Collier-Dade facilities corrodes the common interest. ”
Wensky’s statement also highlighted humanitarian concerns, noting the facility’s isolation from healthcare and the vulnerability of temporary tent structures to Florida’s harsh summer weather and hurricane threats. He also sought that pastors and pastors be granted access to serve those in detention.
Meanwhile, last week, a group of democratic state lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the state after being denied entry to the site. The complaint argues that it legally grants “immediate, unpublished access” to the facility.
“We weren’t looking for a sanitized field trip,” said Sen. Shevlyn Jones, D-District 34. “If (if the allegation is wrong), prove it. Show it.”
NBC6 reports on detainees and their families’ allegations of “inhumanity.” Limited access to the shower, spoiled food, extreme heat, mosquito invasion. The state has defied these claims defied.
Lawmakers were later invited to a 90-minute guided tour of the facility, but some say it wasn’t enough to ensure transparency.
House Speaker Danny Perez (R) defended the facility, saying, “It should not be a five-star resort, not a five-star hotel. It’s a detention center with criminals.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava has also requested access to the site. Her office says she is still waiting for a response, highlighting that the property is on the county’s land.
The legal battle and public protest add new urgency to debates over Florida immigration enforcement and the use of isolated, harsh, protected detention sites.
