Shut Down "Alligator Alcatraz"

The message:

UPDATE: The ACLU is suing to challenge Florida's authority to detain people at "Alligator Alcatraz." It is unprecedented and illegal for a state to go around federal laws to operate its own immigration jail, and we’re going to court to keep states like Florida from creating their own immigration detention facilities in violation of federal law.

President Trump's mass incarceration and deportation machine has a horrifying new form – makeshift inhumane compounds like "Alligator Alcatraz."

Thrown up in just eight days, this Florida detention center already has a reputation for horrific conditions. It was built on sacred land – ignoring fierce opposition from indigenous communities, environmental advocates, and grassroots organizations. Individuals are locked in cages inside of tents. It flooded within a day of opening. Swarms of mosquitoes surround the facilities. Reports are emerging that people detained there are fed maggot-infested food, denied medical care, not given access to water, flushing toilets, or showers, and are not allowed to go outside. They are barred from practicing their religion and accessing legal counsel. Lawmakers have been denied unannounced access to the facility, preventing oversight and shielding potential human rights violations from scrutiny.

If this sounds familiar, it's because inhumane conditions, abuse, and complete disregard for human dignity have become a hallmark of immigration detention facilities. It's shocking and cruel – and our taxpayer dollars are funding facilities like these to the tune of $45 billion. This facility is a moral failure, an environmental threat, and a fiscal disaster.

The cruelty must end – in Florida and nationwide. Congress must demand immediate access and block all federal funds until this environmental and humanitarian disaster is shut down. Tell Congress: Shut down "Alligator Alcatraz" and other makeshift detention centers like it.