Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier discussed the recent federal ruling on the operation of the Everglades Detention Facility, also known as Alligator Alcatraz, in an interview with FOX Business.
When asked whether the facility will cease operations, Uthmeier said, “This is mission ongoing” as he intends to appeal the ruling.
“We believe we're right on the law, and we've appealed it to the 11th circuit, and we have other facilities that are already ready to go to continue to ensure that we are delivering on their mission,” he said.
The attorney general continued, calling the federal judge in charge of the ruling an “activist judge” who only wants to “stand in the way of President Trump and his policy goals.”
Uthmeier continues the interview, claiming that an abandoned jail in Baker County is next in line to become an illegal immigration and deportation facility and that he will continue “to fight sanctuary states like California and Gavin Newsom that want to let illegals come into our state.”
“We've got another facility up in Baker County. A jail that's completely abandoned and is going to be used. Camp Blanding, where the National Guard operates, can hold thousands [of illegal immigrants]. We've got spaces in southwest Florida near Homestead Air Force Base that can be activated,” he stated.
Uthmeier finished the interview arguing that people entering the U.S. illegally are not “wanting to be law-abiding citizens,” instead entering the country to take part in “dangerous criminal activities.”
“You've got the left and the media, you know, crying, saying, these are people that just want to be law-abiding citizens and raise a family and work hard in our state. Well, I'm sorry, that is not what we are seeing. We are seeing people engaging in dangerous criminal activities, absolutely not,” he said. “We're going to detain as many illegals as possible, and we're going to get them back where they came from.”
