John,

I’m speaking out against Republicans’ cruel, dehumanizing “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention center. Its outrageous violations of human rights and constitutional rights are unacceptable.  

This internment camp is packing 900 people in crowded cages, with malfunctioning air conditioning in sweltering heat. The facility has already flooded and a dangerous hurricane season is ahead.

Detainees’ loved ones have described overflowing toilets, medical neglect, and small once-a-day meals filled with worms. People have been denied access to lawyers, in violation of their due process rights. Meanwhile, news outlets have confirmed that hundreds of people locked up there have committed no crime.

In violation of Tribal sovereignty, this inhumane facility was also built in just eight days—without notice or consultation with the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes.

Tribal leaders are speaking out against this disruption of their sacred homelands and ceremonial grounds. A dozen traditional villages are within three miles of the facility in the Big Cypress National Preserve, with one village less than 1,000 feet away.

I’ve joined fellow Congressmembers to demand ICE and the Department of Homeland Security shut down the “Alligator Alcatraz” internment camp. We’re also calling for humane treatment of detainees and for unobstructed oversight, such as regular and unannounced inspections.

Please sign on today to demand federal and state officials shut down the horrific “Alligator Alcatraz” now.

Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress told Congress last year: “The Big Cypress is part of us, and we are a part of it.” Under international human rights law, governments need to get the consent of Tribes before starting a project that could affect them or their lands.

And as laid out in the Constitution and other laws, federal and state governments have legal obligations to respect Tribes’ sovereignty, including engaging in Nation-to-Nation relationships that can involve co-governance of Tribal land.

They must also follow federal and state laws that require environmental reviews and a public comment process.

Environmental groups are suing Florida’s governor for ignoring these requirements and jeopardizing this fragile ecosystem that’s home to many endangered wildlife species. The area is also an internationally-designated “dark sky” park, but intense lights are rapidly changing that.

When my colleague Rep. Maxwell Frost and other lawmakers were finally allowed to tour the facility, he described horrific conditions and detainees shouting for help. He said that Trump’s administration wants “to ethnically cleanse this country of certain types of immigrants” who are Black and brown.

Now, Trump and his administration are trying to expand projects like this to other states. Racist xenophobe Stephen Miller (who led the first Trump term’s family separation policies) has asked governors to work with DHS to build similar facilities. Some of this could be funded from the just-signed Big Budget Betrayal bill, which designated $3.5 billion to fund “temporary detention” of immigrants.

We’ve got to speak out now—to not only stop this inhumane Florida project but also to stop other states from using it as a model.

Please sign on today to demand federal and state governments shut down the inhumane “Alligator Alcatraz” internment camp.

Thank you. Together, we must continue to stand up for our shared human rights and human dignity. I promise to keep working to end the criminalization of migration, build pathways for citizenship, and dismantle systemic racism.

In solidarity,

Rashida

P.S. You may find these legal resources for immigrants—including people in detention—helpful. You can also find “know your rights” information and other resources here.