Florida Democratic congressional candidate Barbie Harden Hall on Sunday suggested that a hurricane should hit "Alligator Alcatraz," the state's new illegal alien detention center opening in the Everglades.
"Karma would be a direct hit to Alligator Alcatraz," Hall said. "I need someone to mock-up a hurricane track with Barack Obama’s face with a path projection right to the Everglades."
Hall, running in District 11, made the crass remark after a tropical depression in the Gulf of America hit eastern Mexico on Sunday night. The storm was briefly Tropical Storm Barry.
An unrelated system in the Gulf is, however, putting forecasters on notice. The potential disturbance could affect Central Florida later this week.
Florida was hit by a pair of devastating Hurricanes last year. Hurricane Helene hit the state's Big Bend region in September, while Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in October.
First unveiled by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Alligator Alcatraz is located in Ochopee near the Miami-Dade-Collier County line. The detention facility, once a jetport, is 39 square miles with a 10,500-foot-long runway.
Uthmeier said the facility could house as many as 5,000 migrants.
The detention center is also surrounded by Everglades wetland, making it an ideal location, according to Florida Republicans, to house criminal illegal aliens. Snakes and pythons also linger near the area, making it unlikely for migrant runways to escape.
Florida Democrats, on the other hand, have criticized the facility's purpose. It has also been denounced by the Miccosukee Tribe, which resides on the area's land.
But unlike most reactions, Hall's was a bit more direct. It even drew a response from Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power, who mocked Hall for the insinuation.
"Friends remember if for some reason @NikkiFried has to stop being Chair (I hope never) this is totally who the @FlaDems should replace her with!" Power said.
President Donald Trump is set to visit the facility on Tuesday. He will be joined by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently gave a tour of the center to Fox News.
Congressional District 11 covers Sumter County and parts of Lake, Orange, and Polk counties in Central Florida. The district is represented by Republican Daniel Webster, who beat Hall by 21 points in the CD 11 election last November.
Hall is trying again, with a potential rematch set for 2026.
