OCHOPEE, Fla. — Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‑Fla.) returned visibly shaken after touring Florida’s newly erected Everglades detention center. The center, colloquially known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” was toured on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The detention center conditions have been the subject of intense scrutiny. Lawmakers pushed for unsanitized access to evaluate the treatment of detainees.
The tour was organized by the state and federal authorities. It came after earlier attempts by Democratic lawmakers to make an unannounced visit were blocked. This led to a lawsuit calling for proper legislative oversight.
Despite the state’s orchestration, lawmakers—including Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Darren Soto, Maxwell Frost, Lois Frankel, and Jared Moskowitz—labelled the experience as disturbing. They reported disturbing conditions such as detainees confined in metal enclosures housing up to 32 men apiece. These enclosures were equipped only with bunk beds and compact toilet-sink units. “They essentially drink—and brush their teeth—where they poop,” Rep. Wasserman Schultz said. This was during a press statement outside the compound, describing the Alligator Alcatraz detention center conditions.
Conditions described by lawmakers included unsanitary food—some reportedly infested with worms—alongside insect-plagued bunks, flooded floors, and sporadic air conditioning failures in the sweltering Florida heat. The detention center conditions left some detainees appearing to go days without showers. Others could be heard crying for help.
The facility was built rapidly and meant to house up to 3,000 to 5,000 detainees. It is part of a wider push to expand national detention capacity. State construction was completed in mere days, and the first detainees arrived on July 3, shortly after President Trump toured it.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), however, defended the facility’s operations. FDEM spokesperson Stephanie Hartman stated that three daily meals, unlimited drinking water, showers, medical care, and access to legal and religious resources are consistently provided. She insisted the facility “meets all required standards and is in good working order.”
Representative Wasserman Schultz criticized the state-run tour as “sanitized”, designed to obscure internal realities rather than expose them. The group reaffirmed its intention to return unannounced to conduct more thorough oversight, as allowed under federal law.
As the political and human rights debate intensifies, Rep. Wasserman Schultz and her Democratic colleagues say Saturday’s visit has reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability. They call on federal oversight and legislative committees to act swiftly in response to Alligator Alcatraz detention center conditions.
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