Florida’s top emergency management official is firing back at Democrats who tried to manufacture outrage over the state’s new detention facility — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” and said the political theater on display during a bipartisan tour of the facility was off the charts.
More than 60 lawmakers showed up over the weekend, but Guthrie said some came to act, not observe.
“Absolutely,” Guthrie said when asked if anyone was trying to stir up controversy. “One of my favorites was an individual who had an infrared thermometer and pointed it at a light bulb. And it was 110 degrees. I said, ‘Let’s actually pull that down to where the ambient air is at, and not point it at the light bulb.’”
Democrats also complained about the toilet setup. Guthrie made it clear that the facility meets or exceeds all standards, state and national.
“This is a standard lock-up toilet system that’s in any secured facility,” he said. “There is a sink there, there is a toilet there. Whether you’re brushing your teeth or using the restroom, it’s a restroom. That’s what people do.”
Then came the turkey sandwich drama. Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz reportedly described it as “gray” — without even opening the wrapper.
“That might be one of my favorites,” Guthrie said. “She was about six feet away from the turkey sandwich box, that was in a wrapper, so I don’t know how she could tell it was gray. But let’s be honest — hospital food, school lunches under Michelle Obama’s program — it’s the same thing. Nobody’s getting filet mignon.”
Here’s the bottom line: Democrats aren’t upset about conditions — they’re upset that we’re actually enforcing immigration law. For years, they’ve catered to illegal immigrants while ignoring the needs of American citizens.
That ends now.
If you break federal immigration law — and especially if you commit a violent crime — you’re not getting a resort stay and a gift card.
You’re getting a cell.
It’s not supposed to be comfortable. It’s supposed to be a consequence.
If you break federal immigration law — and especially if you commit a violent crime — you’re not getting a resort stay and a gift card.
You’re getting a cell.
It’s not supposed to be comfortable. It’s supposed to be a consequence.
The lawmakers argued that the move unlawfully obstructed their oversight responsibilities, The Hill reported.
“The DeSantis Administration’s refusal to let us in wasn’t some bureaucratic misstep,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement, per The Associated Press. “It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what’s really happening behind those gates.”
The lawmakers were turned away from the state-run detention facility on Saturday, located deep in the Florida Everglades. In their lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court, the plaintiffs argue that state law does not restrict their authority to carry out legislative oversight of the facility.
“There is no statute that permits the Governor to overrule the Legislature’s oversight authority. This lawsuit is about defending the rule of law, protecting vulnerable people inside that facility, and stopping the normalization of executive overreach,” the statement from the lawmakers added.
The group has filed suit against DeSantis and Florida’s emergency management agency chief, Kevin Guthrie, the AP noted.
A spokesperson from DeSantis’s office described the lawsuit as “dumb” and “frivolous.”
However, critics of Democrats argue that their descriptions of the facility have been excessive and exaggerated, as they consistently support illegal aliens over American citizens. Republicans also blame Democrats for inciting violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents tasked with locating and arresting criminal aliens.
The White House and DeSantis, meanwhile, are urging Republican-led states to replicate Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” — a remote detention center for illegal immigrants situated deep in the Everglades.
