Trump Admin Pushes Back on Accusations of Poor Conditions at 'Alligator Alcatraz'

A prominent outlet of President Donald Trump's administration, Rapid Response 47, pushed back on accusations on Thursday of inhumane conditions at Florida's new illegal alien detention center in the Everglades, now known as "Alligator Alcatraz." The claims, made in a report by the Miami Herald, included unworkable toilets, hot and cold temperatures, and giant bugs.

"It's Florida. As @DHSgov said, ICE has higher standards than most prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens," Rapid Response 47 said. "All detainees are given proper meals, medical treatment, and communication with lawyers and families."

Alligator Alcatraz is located in Ochopee near the Miami-Dade-Collier County line. It is also encircled by the Everglades, making it an ideal area, according to some, to house illegal aliens for rapid deportation.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie detailed the facilities' amenities at a news conference at its opening.

"The detention facility includes over 158,000 square feet of housing. It is a fully aluminium-framed structure rated for 110 an hour, or a high-end category 2 [hurricane], for those people that don't think we are taking that into consideration," Guthrie said. "This is Florida, by the way."

Other officials, including Florida Democrats, have called the facility "cruel" and "environmentally catastrophic. It has also been slammed by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, who call the area home.

Through its process, the facility has been subjected to lawsuits over its usage, including by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity. Florida Democratic legislators also sued Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday after being denied entry to the facility last week.

Alligator Alcatraz welcomed its first wave of illegal aliens last week.

"Power supply is fully redundant, with backup generators in place. We put a staff village here on site with a capacity of 1000," Guthrie continued. "Our services are hot meals three times a day, [a] 24/7 medical facility, [a] pharmacy, air conditioning, access to indoor and outdoor rec yards, legal and clergy support services, [and] laundry. Our security element is over 200 security cameras throughout the facility, more than 28,000 feet of barbed wire, [and] 400-plus security personnel."