Billboards slam Diaz-Balart over Alligator Alcatraz; Congressman calls campaign a "radical left" move

CBS News

a day ago

A nonprofit group is accusing U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of staying silent on alleged abuses at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center.
The group has launched a wave of billboards across Miami-Dade that the congressman says are part of a politically motivated campaign by "the radical left."
"When you have groups from the left tied to the Democratic party doing billboards against a Republican, it should be no surprise," Diaz-Balart told CBS News Miami.
He said the billboards, one of which appears near the Palmetto Expressway and the entrance to Hialeah, are part of a political strategy.
"I think it is a little ironic that it's basically a campaign poster, gets coverage without saying who paid for it," Diaz-Balart added.
The criticism centers on allegations that Diaz-Balart has remained silent about reported irregularities at the facility and the number of people being detained and deported without criminal records.
"The elections (midterm) are more than a year away," said Chris Wills, spokesperson for the nonprofit group Keep Them Honest, which is responsible for the billboards.
Wills said the organization is not backing any candidate and described it as a nonpartisan effort to hold elected officials accountable.
"So, Keep Them Honest is a nonprofit, not party organization. We are here to hold the elected officials who were entrusted with the vote of this community," Wills said.
"Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart—why is he the one up on this board? Because he's the Republican in Congress who has served the most here in Miami-Dade County. And he has been the most silent one."
The group said there are six billboards in total and that monthly costs vary by location.
"I would say it's a couple thousand dollars (a month)," said Wills.
When asked about funding sources, Wills said, "I'll tell you those checks are coming from people across the political spectrum, including people like me who are former Republicans."
Keep Them Honest alleges that detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, located in Diaz-Balart's District 26, are being held without due process or access to legal representation, particularly migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti.
"I saw the conditions inside, there's a lot of false information… look, it's a detention center. You and I would not want to spend a day at a detention center, but the conditions inside are typical of a detention center," Diaz-Balart said.