TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Leaders of Florida’s new controversial immigration detention center, Wani Alcatraz, are pushing back against Democrats who have been denied access to the facility.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday highlighted the importance of the facility near the Everglades.
“What the Department of Homeland Security says to us is, look, we just process it, we don’t have the ability to do anything before we’ve put someone in bed overnight and then banished. So they asked us for help.”
Last week, Democrats said they had been denied access to the facility. They expressed concern over the situation at sites that can accommodate thousands of migrants.
Michele Rayner, representative of the Pinellas County state, is among those who said the law allows lawmakers to visit the state correctional agencies “at their pleasure.”
“We have the statutory authority to ensure that we can inspect them without being announced to detention centres, local government prisons, or prisons,” Rayner said.
Leaders of the Florida Department of Emergency Management said the law does not apply in this particular case. They sent the following statement to your side 8:
The legal authority cited by lawmakers has not been expanded to the facility in the manner requested.
Section 11.143(2), Florida law does not have individual legislators engaged in political theatres, granting inspection bodies to the Legislative Committee. This distinction is important to ensure that monitoring takes place through a formal, established legislative process.
Section 944.23, Florida Law allows members of the Legislature to visit the state correctional agency. The term “state correctional facilities” is defined in section 944.02(8) of Florida law. The Wannial Catraz facility is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and otherwise does not fall under the statutory definition of a “national correctional facility.”
Desantis is considering building two similar sites near Jacksonville and near the Panhandle.
“So, since all of these projects are competitive bids, we’re getting projects when they come in. I think the vendor will be chosen in the end,” Desantis said Monday.
The governor did not provide a specific timeline for the construction of additional facilities, but he is pleased to support his deportation efforts.
“We are the only state in the country that requires state and local law enforcement for immigration enforcement, partly because Florida has the only number of illegal alien arrests nationwide on all days.
