Detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz describe cage-like units swarmed by mosquitoes
Legal advocates and relatives of immigrant detainees held in Florida's notorious Alligator Alcatraz are demanding the closure of the state-run facility, as allegations of human rights violations there and at other immigration detention centers mount.
Detainees in Alligator Alcatraz, a new facility in the Everglades, described what they called torturous conditions in cage-like units full of mosquitoes, where fluorescent lights shine bright on them at all times. Detainees here also called attention to unsanitary conditions, as well as lack of food and reliable medical treatment for their chronic conditions.
“Detention conditions are unlivable,” said Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, during a news conference Tuesday outside the facility.
The Trump administration’s push to quickly ramp up immigration arrests has led to overcrowding at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. As of June 20, more than 56,000 people were spending the night in detention centers nationwide on any given day. That’s 40% more than in June 2024 and the highest detention population in U.S. history, according to a Human Rights Watch report. Nearly 72% of those detained have no criminal history.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/detainees-held-alligator-alcatraz-describe-225150515.html
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