The government of Guatemala confirmed on Friday that it arranged a visit to a detention center known as the “Alligator Alcatraz,” located in a swampy area of southern Florida, to check on the situation of 14 of its nationals being held there.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that 14 of its citizens are in the facility, which is surrounded by mangroves and swamps and accessible only by a single road.
The Guatemalan consular network in the United States requested permission from U.S. authorities to visit the detainees “to identify, interview, and learn firsthand about their situation and conditions,” the ministry said in a statement.
Access for Guatemalan officials to the Everglades facility—named after the national park that surrounds it—”was confirmed and is scheduled for August 7,” the statement added.
“So far, the Guatemalan nationality of 14 individuals held there—all adult men—has been confirmed,” it said. According to human rights advocates, migrants held in this center are victims of abuse.
The construction of the facility on an abandoned airport in that part of Florida has sparked outrage among critics of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, calling it inhumane, as well as protests from environmentalists because of its proximity to a protected nature reserve.
Trump, however, who has pushed for tough immigration policies since returning to power in January, sees it as a major achievement. During a visit on July 1, the Republican praised the facility, which can currently hold 1,000 people but could be expanded to 5,000.
The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on July 21 that abuses and degrading treatment occur in three detention centers in Florida. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that a total of 30 Mexicans are also being held in that facility.
