NEWS: DeSantis Bypasses Laws to Escalate Cruelty at Everglades Detention Site

DeSantis suspends fingerprint checks, truck safety laws, and sanitation rules as migrant camp conditions worsen.

JULY 13, 2025 — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is aggressively expanding the scope and severity of the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention site by suspending multiple public safety and regulatory standards, even as the camp fills with hundreds of detainees in the Everglades.

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According to public records and state officials, DeSantis has approved the use of private correctional officers who are not subject to fingerprinting or full background checks—departing from standard vetting protocols required at state-run facilities. The move allows rapid hiring but removes key safety checks.

Additionally, DeSantis has suspended truck safety regulations for transport vehicles accessing the site and waived state permitting rules for portable toilets and waste systems. These changes come as reports of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions continue to emerge from inside the camp.

The DeSantis administration has also coordinated with Trump-aligned federal officials to push for the suspension of national detention standards, seeking to eliminate rules that require basic access to showers, legal counsel, and medical care in migrant facilities.

The facility, located on the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport property, is now housing over 900 migrants. Detainees and whistleblowers have reported maggot-ridden food, standing water inside tents, and 24-hour lighting with no privacy. Visits from lawmakers have been tightly controlled.

The governor’s latest regulatory rollbacks deepen concerns over unchecked executive power and conditions inside the rapidly expanding site. Legal and environmental challenges remain ongoing.

More soon!