Florida lawmakers who were denied access to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ sue DeSantis
Jul 10, 2025, 2:34 PM | Updated: 3:10 pm
This aerial photo shows that the state is plowing ahead with building a an immigration detention facility with heavy-duty tents, trailers and other temporary buildings at the Miami Dade County-owned airfield in the Big Cypress National Preserve, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami, This Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Daniel Kozin)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Five state lawmakers who were denied access to a new immigration detention center built by Gov. Ron DeSantis鈥� administration in the Florida Everglades have sued the governor, arguing that he overstepped his authority in blocking legislative oversight of the facility known as 鈥淎lligator Alcatraz.鈥�
Thursday’s filing with the state Supreme Court is the most significant action yet by state officials seeking to challenge the DeSantis administration’s decision to construct and operate the 3,000-bed makeshift detention center at an isolated airstrip surrounded by swampland.
The lawmakers argue that DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, the director of Florida’s emergency management division, unlawfully restricted the Legislature鈥檚 independence as a co-equal branch of government in denying them access to the facility on July 3.
鈥淭he DeSantis Administration鈥檚 refusal to let us in wasn鈥檛 some bureaucratic misstep. It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what鈥檚 really happening behind those gates,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. 鈥淭here is no statute that permits the Governor to overrule the Legislature鈥檚 oversight authority. This lawsuit is about defending the rule of law, protecting vulnerable people inside that facility, and stopping the normalization of executive overreach.鈥�
Since blocking the five Democratic lawmakers from entering the center earlier this month, state officials have invited Florida legislators and members of Congress to visit the site this coming Saturday. The plaintiffs said they expect the tour to be a 鈥渢ightly controlled walkthrough鈥� that doesn’t meet their standard of 鈥渞eal oversight.鈥�
A representative for DeSantis called the lawsuit 鈥渇rivolous.鈥�
鈥淭he State is looking forward to quickly dispensing with this dumb lawsuit,鈥� said spokesperson Molly Best.
A message seeking comment about the response from the governor’s office was left with a spokesperson for the plaintiffs.
State officials raced to build the facility in a matter of days at a remote airfield in the protected wetlands about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami, outraging environmentalists and human rights advocates.
DeSantis’ administration built the multimillion-dollar center using emergency powers under an executive order the governor issued during the administration of then-President Joe Biden. It was signed amid what DeSantis deemed a crisis caused by illegal immigration. That emergency authority has allowed the state to sidestep purchasing requirements and seize land for the site from Miami-Dade County, over the objections of local officials.
The governor has touted the facility as a model to be replicated as the state works to aggressively carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
鈥淕overnor DeSantis has insisted that the state of Florida, under his leadership, will facilitate the federal government in enforcing immigration law,鈥� a DeSantis spokesperson said in a previous statement.
鈥淔lorida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.鈥�
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
