<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Deep in the hazardous and ecologically fragile Everglades, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="USA "><span>USA </span></a><span>hundreds of migrants are confined in cages in a makeshift tent detention facility Florida's Republican governor calls "safe and secure" and Democratic lawmakers call "inhumane."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two days after filing a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being "unlawfully denied entry" to inspect conditions at the facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," members of Congress and state representatives were given a limited tour on Saturday to inspect conditions after calling the lack of access a "deliberate obstruction meant to hide what's really happening behind those gates," according to a joint statement from lawmakers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-announces-30-tariffs-against-eu-mexico-to-begin-aug-1-rattling-major-us-trading-partners/e4dfbf95-fa37-4d42-964c-3a6e2e79ed17"><strong><span>Trump 'blows up rules', hands down huge new tariffs</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They said they heard detainees shouting for help and crying out "libertad"— Spanish for "freedom" — amid sweltering heat, bug infestations and meagre meals.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They are essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents Florida's 25th Congressional District, said during a news conference following their tour.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The families of some of the detainees have also decried conditions in the facility, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials defend it as offering higher detention standards than many US prisons.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mount-druitt-updates-man-shot-by-police-in-westfield-carpark-after-fight-breaks-out/ab4cd513-cffb-450f-9444-524720ecd0bb"><strong><span>Father-of-two shot dead by police after brawl allegedly involving wife</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/usa-florida-lawmakers-allowed-alligator-alcatraz-say-detainees-packed-into-cages/2a77bb3e-3545-456f-8971-f139b6112dd5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>Lawmakers shown empty cells</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the tour, the lawmakers said they were not allowed to visit areas where migrants are currently being detained but instead were shown cells not yet being used.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wasserman Schultz said each cage contained three small toilets with attached sinks, which detainees use for drinking water and brushing their teeth, sharing the same water used to flush the toilets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When they toured the kitchen area, Wasserman Schultz said government employees were being offered large pieces of roast chicken and sausages, while the detainees' lunch consisted of a "grey turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple and chips."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't see how that could possibly sustain them nutritionally or not make them hungry," Wasserman Schultz said. "And when you have hungry people, obviously their mood changes."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who was also on the tour, said the lawmakers were concerned about reports of unhygienic conditions due to toilets not working and "faeces being spread everywhere," but were denied access from viewing units where migrants are currently detained.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-announces-30-tariffs-against-eu-mexico-to-begin-aug-1-rattling-major-us-trading-partners/e4dfbf95-fa37-4d42-964c-3a6e2e79ed17"><strong><span>Trump 'blows up rules', hands down huge new tariffs</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They were also not permitted to view the medical facilities, with officials citing HIPAA laws, despite lawmakers being allowed to examine the medical facilities at other detention facilities, he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is something everyone, whether you're Democrat, Republican or anything, should be deeply ashamed of," Frost said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Immigrants don't poison the blood of this nation. They are the blood of this nation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US Rep. Darren Soto said lawmakers also witnessed evidence of flooding, highlighting serious concerns of what could happen to detainees if there's severe weather during what forecasters said may be a busy hurricane season.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What we saw in our inspection today was a political stunt, dangerous and wasteful," Soto said after the tour. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One can't help but understand and conclude that this is a total cruel political stunt meant to have a spectacle of political theatre and it's wasting taxpayer dollars and putting our ICE agents, our troops and ICE detainees in jeopardy."</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/07/11/09/57/today-in-history-july-13-what-happened-on-this-day"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/DuQT8k4A2O6EvrOJ4KXXQ8Cv244=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fca4c89d4-6b2b-400a-936b-6245aecfb9a3" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/DuQT8k4A2O6EvrOJ4KXXQ8Cv244=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fca4c89d4-6b2b-400a-936b-6245aecfb9a3 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/0df2mndaGIFf-jDOWue-XwJs36Y=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fca4c89d4-6b2b-400a-936b-6245aecfb9a3 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Student nurse survived night of horror because serial killer lost count</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/07/11/09/57/today-in-history-july-13-what-happened-on-this-day">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>Detained migrant's family reports difficult conditions, no access to lawyer</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 900 people are currently detained at the facility, Wasserman Schultz said during the news conference but it has the capacity to hold 3,000 people, with room for more, according to Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The wife of a 43-year-old Guatemalan man currently detained at "Alligator Alcatraz" told CNN her husband is enduring harsh conditions similar to those described by lawmakers who toured the facility. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/eric-bana-koby-stevens-documentary-footage-stolen-former-afl-player-makes-plea/eed4a36b-def7-4ae9-87aa-07484a8ff89b"><strong><span>'Sickening': Former AFL gun's plea to thieves over stolen footage</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After more than two weeks in detention, she said, he has yet to see a lawyer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are too many mosquitoes … He's in a really bad condition. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The power goes off at times because they're using generators," the woman told CNN in an interview on Tuesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The detainees are being held in tents, and it is very hot there. They're in bad conditions. … There's not enough food. Sick people are not getting medication. Every time I ask about his situation, he tells me it's bad," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Guatemalan woman said she, her husband, and their 11-month-old baby went fishing on June 25 in the Everglades. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Florida wildlife officer approached them and asked for documents. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her husband had a valid driver's license, she said, but when the officer realized she didn't have any documents proving she was in the country legally, the officer called immigration authorities who detained the whole family.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After spending seven-and-a-half hours in what she describes as a "dirty holding cell," she and her baby – a US citizen – were released, but her husband was detained. She now wears an ankle bracelet.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her husband later told her he remained in detention at the Dania Beach Jail, near Fort Lauderdale, for eight days, before being transferred to "Alligator Alcatraz."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Once transferred, he was unable to take a shower for six days and there were not enough facilities for washing hands, she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/gst-why-are-there-calls-to-change-it-australia-tax-system-explained/90b4e02e-8aec-4a15-8727-e2ba31209a98" rel="" target="" title="Why experts want to raise one of Australia's least popular taxes"><strong><span>Why experts want to raise one of Australia's least popular taxes</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Friday, he was woken up at 3am to take a shower because of the number of people waiting for their turn, she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Florida detention facility, did not immediately reply to CNN's request for comment about specific allegations about conditions there.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a </span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FDHSgov%2Fstatus%2F1942732631394668678&amp;data=05%7C02%7Calaa.elassar%40cnn.com%7Cfab04be04aea44876d6408ddbf006472%7C0eb48825e8714459bc72d0ecd68f1f39%7C0%7C0%7C638876730725369866%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aaGAoHjqDov3D5lPN9ONobbOvg3AtUCnjBlyjB3%2BEMI%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="" target="" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FDHSgov%2Fstatus%2F1942732631394668678&amp;data=05%7C02%7Calaa.elassar%40cnn.com%7Cfab04be04aea44876d6408ddbf006472%7C0eb48825e8714459bc72d0ecd68f1f39%7C0%7C0%7C638876730725369866%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aaGAoHjqDov3D5lPN9ONobbOvg3AtUCnjBlyjB3%2BEMI%3D&amp;reserved=0"><span>written statement</span></a><span> posted on X Tuesday, DHS said, "ICE has higher detention standards than most US prisons that hold actual US citizens. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>'Alligator Alcatraz' set up in just eight days</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In little over a week, workers transformed the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport from an 11,000-foot runway into a temporary tent city President Donald Trump toured last week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump raved about the facility's "incredible" quick construction during his visit and pointed to the detention centre as an example of what he wants to implement "in many states."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The project was fast-tracked under an executive order from DeSantis, who framed illegal immigration as a state emergency.</span></div></div>