Horrific Conditions at Florida Immigration Detention Center Exposed

The Everglades immigration detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," has been plagued by inhumane conditions, with detainees reporting worms in their food, overflowing toilets, and a lack of adequate medical care. Rows of bunk beds are surrounded by chain-link cages, and detainees are only able to speak with lawyers and loved ones by phone. The facility has been criticized by attorneys, advocates, and relatives of the detainees, who claim that the conditions are in direct violation of the detainees' rights to dignity and due process. Despite officials' claims that the facility meets all required standards, insider accounts paint a grim picture of unsanitary conditions and a lack of adequate medical care.

Key Takeaways:

• Detainees report worms in their food, overflowing toilets, and a lack of adequate medical care at the Everglades immigration detention center.
• Rows of bunk beds are surrounded by chain-link cages, and detainees are only able to speak with lawyers and loved ones by phone.
• Detainees are often held in 24-hour confinement with no windows and no way to know the time, and their wrists and ankles are cuffed every time they go to see an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
• Attacks have allegedly been carried out on detainees who have protested the conditions, with at least one Cuban protester reportedly being taken to a punishment cell.
• Immigrants with no criminal records and at least one teenage boy are reportedly being held at the facility, contradicting claims that it is for the "worst of the worst."
• Immigration attorneys report a lack of medical care, with one client reportedly going days without a shower.
• The facility's conditions have been compared to "zoo cages" by one detainee, who described the cells as teeming with mosquitoes, crickets, and frogs.
• Authorities have denied media access to the facility and have refused to engage with concerns about the conditions.
• A group of Democratic lawmakers has filed a lawsuit to gain access to the facility, and state legislators and members of Congress are scheduled to conduct a site visit on Saturday.

Statistics:

• 35-year-old Cuban detainee: reports that detainees go days without a shower.
• Average number of meals per day: 1.
• Average time allowed for eating: 2 minutes.
• Number of incidents of worms in food: allegedly multiple.
• Number of days without medical attention for one detainee: 3 or 4.
• Number of people held with no criminal records: at least one.
• Age of teenage boy held at facility: 15.

Sources:

• [Josephine Arroyo, Immigration Attorney]
• [Rebecca Sharpless, Clinic Director, Immigration Clinic of the University of Miami School of Law]
• [Katie Blankenship, Immigration Attorney]
• [The Associated Press]
• [Carl Juste, Miami Herald]