‘There is no water to take a bath': Detainees describe conditions in Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
Leamsy 'La Figura' Izquierdo, a Cuban artist who was arrested in Miami last week, told CBS News he was moved to the detention facility in the Everglades on Friday along with what he claims are more than 400 other detainees. Since then, Izquierdo says, he and other detainees have been treated poorly.
'There's no water to take a bath, it's been four days since I've taken a bath,' Izquierdo said.
Izquierdo, who was arrested on battery and assault with a deadly weapon, said detainees are fed once a day with food that has 'maggots' in it and are not provided toothpaste.
'They only brought a meal once a day and it has maggots, he added. 'They never take of the lights for 24 hours. The mosquitoes are as big as elephants.'
Another detainee, an unnamed Colombian man, said his mental health was deteriorating without access to his medication and Bible.
'I'm on the edge of losing my mind. I've gone three days without taking my medicine," he told CBS. "It's impossible to sleep with this white light that's on all day."
"They took the Bible I had and they said here there is no right to religion. And my Bible is the one thing that keeps my faith, and now I'm losing my faith," he added.
Alligator Alcatraz is the recently erected temporary detention facility located deep in the Florida Everglades. It was created quickly to help alleviate pressure from local and state jails that have been directed to detain immigrants.
The facility, managed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, is expected to hold anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people rounded up as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation plan.
But because of the quick turnaround to turn the former Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport into a detention center, detainees are being housed in metal enclosures inside large tents while utilities are being provided by mobile units.
Another detainee, who was not named by CBS, told the news outlet that those running the facility were not respecting 'human rights.' He described being at Alligator Alcatraz as 'a form of torture.'
"They're not respecting our human rights. We're human beings; we're not dogs. We're like rats in an experiment,' he said.
"I don't know their motive for doing this, if it's a form of torture. A lot of us have our residency documents and we don't understand why we're here,' he added.
Izquierdo is among those with permanent residency in the United States, his girlfriend told NBC Miami. But after he was arrested, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him to determine whether or not he should be deported.
The charges he faces stem from a violent dispute with a tow company worker, wh was trying to repossess a jet ski, according to a police report seen by the outlet.
Human rights activists, such as the ACLU, have denounced Alligator Alcatraz and raised concerns about the inhuman conditions detainees could potentially face.
'This project dehumanizes people, strips them of their rights, and diverts public dollars from the services our communities need,' Bacardi Jackson, the executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said.
In addition to human rights concerns, environmentalists have raised issues with the administration building the facility on the Everglades. Members of the Indigenous community in Florida have also raised alarm that it's built on sacred land.
The Independent has reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Office for comment.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
a minute ago
- CBS News
Man, 76, charged with shooting and killing 45-year-old daughter-in-law in Schaumburg, Illinois
A 76-year-old man was charged Sunday with shooting and killing his 45-year-old daughter-in-law at a Schaumburg, Illinois hotel. Schaumburg police said Roland Schmidt was upset with the woman, Christine Moyer, over divorce paperwork she was filing against his son. Schmidt and Moyer were both attending a wedding at the hotel, police said. Schaumburg police said around 10:15 p.m. Friday, officers had responded to the Marriott Hotel at 50 N. Martingale Rd. for a report of a person shot. The shooting occurred near the entrance of the hotel. Police said Moyer was leaving the wedding when Schmidt followed her outside, approached her, and shot her in the head. Moyer, of Galena, Ohio, suffered a single gunshot wound and was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she was pronounced dead, police said. Schmidt, of Stillman Valley, Illinois, was subdued by a person on the scene and turned over to police custody, Schaumburg police said. He was arrested, and a gun was recovered. During the investigation, Schaumburg police said detectives learned that Schmidt resented Moyer for the divorce paperwork against her husband, his son. Schmidt was charged with first-degree murder, and will appear for a detention hearing on Monday in Rolling Meadows Court.
Fox News
a minute ago
- Fox News
11 wounded, 6 critical, in stabbing incident at Michigan Walmart, suspect in custody
Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports from Traverse City, MI where a suspect is in custody following a stabbing incident at a Walmart leaving 11 people wounded and none left in critical condition on 'Fox Report.'
CBS News
a minute ago
- CBS News
Michigan authorities seek to file terrorism charges in Walmart stabbing attack
Michigan authorities said Sunday they are seeking to file terrorism charges and 11 charges of assault with intent to murder against a 42-year-old man accused of carrying out a knife attack at a Walmart store. According to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea, a 42-year-old man — identified as Bradford James Gille, of Afton, Michigan — used a folding knife with a 3.5-inch blade to stab five men and six women, including one Walmart employee, on Saturday afternoon. The ages of the people injured range from 21 to 84. Law enforcement was notified of the attack around 4:43 p.m., Shea said, and a sheriff's deputy was at the store around two minutes later. "At the time of the deputy's arrival, multiple citizens, including one who was armed with a pistol, were confronting the male suspect in the parking lot and preventing him from harming further people and leaving," the sheriff said. "The deputy took the suspect into custody without further incident." Gille is currently held at Grand Traverse County Jail, where he will remain pending formal charges and arraignment, which is expected to be Monday or Tuesday, officials said. Authorities are working to find out the motive behind the attack. On Saturday, Shea said that it appeared to be random. The FBI is assisting with the ongoing investigation, according to Deputy Director Dan Bongino. "Violence like this is unacceptable," Joe Pennington, a Walmart spokesperson, told CBS News in a statement on Saturday. "Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders." The conditions of the 11 people who were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, are improving, medical officials said Sunday afternoon. As of 2 p.m., two people are in serious condition, eight are in fair condition and one has since been released from the hospital, according to Munson Healthcare. On Saturday night, five were in serious condition and six were critical. "Over the past 12 hours, we've seen encouraging signs of recovery from our patients," the northern Michigan-based company said in a written statement Sunday morning. "Our dedicated team of physicians, surgeons, nurses, clinicians, and support staff remain focused on providing a healing environment for all those affected by this tragic incident." The company added that it's working to provide emotional support for Walmart employees impacted by the attack.
