Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones is raising alarm over the conditions he witnessed during a recent visit to “Alligator Alcatraz,” the new migrant detention facility in the Everglades, describing scenes of overcrowding, desperation, and limited transparency.
Speaking on The Joy Reid Show, Jones detailed what he called a deeply disturbing experience. “We saw men sweating, some with cloths wrapped around their heads, climbing the gates as if trying to escape, chanting ‘libertà, libertà, libertà’—freedom,” he recalled.
Located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, the facility—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—was visited by President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during its opening on July 1. The center is part of President Trump’s broader push to remove illegal immigrants from the country and is designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees.
Jones said the people he encountered did not appear to be violent criminals. “They claimed this was where ‘the worst of the worst’ are held,” he said. “But we saw detainees with yellow wristbands—meaning civil infractions. Some were in for things like suspended licenses. And yet they were locked in cages—32 men per cage—eating a turkey sandwich, a bag of chips, and an apple.”
He added that during the intake process, he witnessed men shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles, sitting silently on benches awaiting processing.
Jones also criticized the lack of transparency. When he and other lawmakers asked to see the medical wing, officials denied the request, citing HIPAA privacy regulations. “They gave us a sanitized walk-through,” he said. “We weren’t allowed to see key areas of the facility, including medical services.”
Republican officials have defended the center’s operation, saying it’s necessary for national security. However, Jones and other Democratic lawmakers plan to return for a more thorough inspection, citing serious concerns about detainee welfare.
The Biden-era Department of Homeland Security had previously declined to use large-scale outdoor detention facilities, citing human rights and legal concerns. The opening of Alligator Alcatraz marks a stark shift in policy, and critics warn it may set a troubling precedent.
Despite Jones’s criticism, President Trump has praised the center as a symbol of his administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration. Still, questions continue to mount about the treatment of detainees and the conditions inside the rapidly expanding detention network.
