The already infamous ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention centre in Florida has been compared to a “dog cage” amid concerns over conditions there.
Once destined to be the world’s largest airport, the facility has instead become a symbol of the White House’s determination to deport migrants from America which it says do not have a right to be in the country.
One detainee described feeling “in a state of torture” while a family member of another said “not even sunlight gets in”.
Supporters of President Donald Trump’s harsh stance on immigration have praised the new detention centre, in particular how natural obstacles in the surrounding Everglades such as alligators make escape difficult.
But for critics, it’s a dehumanising place that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to run each year.
Stories from inside Alligator Alcatraz
“It’s like a dog cage,” says detainee Rafael Collado, speaking to reporters on Tuesday over the phone from inside the facility.
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In the comments, reported by Sky News’ US sister outlet NBC News, he said that a combination of floodwater from recent storms, limited access to showers and poor sanitation have caused him to get fungus on his feet.
He said detainees are stripped naked every time they are moved to a different cell and there was not a set schedule for him to take his blood pressure medication.
At this point, he said he was being told by a guard to hang up and ended the call.
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Meanwhile, Mexico is seeking the repatriation of 14 nationals that are being held at the centre.
Mexican father Martin Gonzalez told local radio station W that his sons, Carlos and Alejandro, were now held in the detention centre.
“It’s really bad. The facility is completely closed, not even sunlight gets in,” Mr Gonzalez said. “The lights are on 24-7, so they don’t even know if it’s day or night.”
Another detainee, Juan Palma, spoke to NBC Miami from inside Alligator Alcatraz on Monday.
“I feel like my life is in danger,” Mr Palma, who is Cuban, said.
He described feeling “in a state of torture,” being swarmed by mosquitoes during his sleep and unable to tell night from day because the facility’s fluorescent lights are always on.
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US government denies accusations
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, denied all allegations of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz and at immigration detention centres across the nation.
She told NBC: “All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.
“Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority.”
The Dade-Collier airport was once destined to be the world’s largest airport and would have been five times the size of New York City’s JFK, but it never fulfilled its potential.
Instead, the 39-square-mile facility located about 50 miles from Miami has been used as a training facility for years – until now.
“This is an old, virtually abandoned airport facility right in the middle of the Everglades,” Florida’s attorney general James Uthmeier said as he introduced it last month. “I call it: Alligator Alcatraz.”
He touted it as an “efficient, low-cost opportunity” to build a “temporary” detention centre “because you don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter”.
It’s believed that the facility could house 5,000 detainees when up and running and, according to CNN, will cost $450m (£328m) annually.
