Connect with us

Politics

Democrats call for closure of controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Published

on


Democrats have complaints about Gov. Ron DeSantis internment camp for illegal immigrants: “Alligator Alcatraz,” the training airport on the edge of the Everglades that in recent weeks has become a staging ground for deportations from the Donald Trump administration.

“This place needs to be shut the hell down,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Saturday. “They’re abusing human beings here.”

Democrats wanted to visit the facility Saturday, but instead they were faced with a guided tour. But despite the curation, Wasserman Schultz said she heard people “screaming,” including a man who claimed to be “poisoned by Clorox in the water.”

“32 detainees per cage. That is the only thing inside those cages are the bunk. They are bunk beds, and there are three tiny toilets that are toilet units that have a sink attached to it. So they essentially drink, they get their drinking water and they brush their teeth, where they poop in the same unit,” she said.

Sen. Shevrin Jones said people with “traffic infractions” were inside, disputing that the “worst of the worst” were in there, and that his “colleagues” were “taking this as a game,” noting it was 83 degrees in there.

State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani suggested the state cleaned up the facility ahead of the lawmakers’ visit.

“They allowed them to take a shower and gave them new clothes, and the food, all of a sudden it is better,” she said. “This is a show.”

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz said in case of a hurricane, detainees would be evacuated to the facility they came from previously.

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost said his colleagues might have an ad hoc hearing and a tour of the facility, which he said was “dehumanizing” people.

“I saw young men who looked like me. I saw myself in those cages,” Frost said.

Republicans see it differently.

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia said there were no issues.

“Just finished my walkthrough of Alligator Alcatraz. Here’s what I saw: The rhetoric coming from Democrats does not match the reality. The place is well run, safe, secure, clean and air conditioned. We reviewed the intake area, medical tent, mess hall, recreation areas and sleeping quarters. I actually laid down in one of the beds and it was really comfortable. So, any complaints about squalor conditions is nothing more than bullsh*t and political theater,” said the Spring Hill Republican who is being considered as the appointed Chief Financial Officer.


Post Views: 0



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Miles Davis tapped to lead School Board organizing workshop at national LGBTQ conference

Published

on


Miles Davis is taking his Florida-focused organizing playbook to the national stage.

Davis, Policy Director at PRISM Florida and Director of Advocacy and Communications at SAVE, has been selected to present a workshop at the 2026 Creating Change Conference, the largest annual LGBTQ advocacy and movement-building convention.

It’s a major nod to his rising role in Florida’s LGBTQ policy landscape.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, which organizes the conference, announced that Davis will present his session, “School Board Organizing 101.” His proposal rose to the top of more than 550 submissions competing for roughly 140 slots, a press note said, making this year’s conference one of the most competitive program cycles in the event’s history.

His workshop will be scheduled during the Jan. 21-24 gathering in Washington, D.C.

Davis said his selection caps a strong year for PRISM Florida, where he helped shepherd the organization’s first-ever bill (HB 331) into the Legislature. The measure, sponsored by Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart, would restore local oversight over reproductive health and HIV/AIDS instruction, undoing changes enacted under a 2023 expansion to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.

Davis’ workshop draws directly from that work and aims to train LGBTQ youth, families and advocates in how local boards operate, how public comment can shape decisions and how communities can mobilize around issues like book access, inclusive classrooms and student safety.

“School boards are where the real battles over student safety, book access, and inclusive classrooms are happening,” Davis said. “I’m honored to bring this training to Creating Change and help our community build the skills to show up, speak out, and win — especially as PRISM advances legislation like HB 331 that returns power to our local communities.”

Davis’ profile has grown in recent years, during which he jumped from working on the campaigns and legislative teams of lawmakers like Hart and Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones to working in key roles for organizations like America Votes, PRISM and SAVE.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, founded in 1973, is one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy organizations. It focuses on advancing civil rights through federal policy work, grassroots engagement and leadership development.

Its Creating Change Conference draws thousands for four days of training and strategy-building yearly, a press note said.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Kevin Steele seeks insight from conservative leaders at Rick Scott-led summit

Published

on


State Rep. Kevin Steele’s campaign for Chief Financial Officer already enjoys political support from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. The Dade City Republican attended a summit headlined by the Senator to also gain some policy insight and mentoring.

Steele was among the attendees for the Rescuing the American Dream summit held on Thursday in Washington, D.C. He said it was a quest for knowledge that drew him to Capitol Hill to hear the discussion.

“The way you do things better in the future is by learning from people who have already accomplished something,” Steele told Florida Politics at the event.

Scott gave a shoutout to Steele from the stage. The Governor already endorsed Steele, who is challenging the appointed Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia in 2026. At the summit, Scott both promoted conservative successes in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and laid out visions on issues from health care reform to cryptocurrency.

Steele called the panel discussions “amazing” and instructive on tackling affordability issues in Florida.

“If we don’t start addressing those things head first, we’re going to fall behind,” Steele said. “I think we’ve lost several million jobs in the state of Florida over the past six or seven years. Learning from Rick Scott and how to bring jobs back to the state is a good thing. And I think that we need to start tackling some of the big, big things that we need to attack.”

That includes addressing property insurance premiums head on and evaluating the property tax situation.

While he will be challenging a Republican incumbent in a Primary, Steele voiced caution at comparing his philosophy too directly with Ingoglia, a former Republican Party of Florida Chair with a history of animus with Scott.

But he did suggest Ingoglia’s recent scrutinizing of local governments may be starting at the wrong place when it comes to cutting spending.

“We need to start focusing on state down, instead of going to a county and pointing out flaws there,” Steele said. “There’s a lot of issues at the state level that we can address, some of which we are, some of which I’ve submitted different bills to address. I think that there’s a lot of waste and abuse at the state level that we can focus on.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Darren Soto refuses to call for Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation

Published

on


U.S. Rep. Darren Soto is refusing to say whether indicted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should vacate her seat in Congress.

Video obtained by Florida Politics shows Soto being confronted on Capitol Hill. “Will you call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign?” the videographer asks.

Initially, Soto remains silent, but the questioner suggests that silence shows “support” for someone who “stole $5 million in health care funds for the most vulnerable.” The Kissimmee Democrat then responds but continues walking away from the camera. He then conflates a censure motion against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, and Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat.

“Both Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick, both will have due process. Thank you,” Soto said.

Both Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills remain the subjects of ongoing House Ethics Committee investigations. But only Cherfilus-McCormick now faces criminal prosecution for alleged financial crimes.

A grand jury in November indicted Cherfilus-McCormick on charges she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her 2021 congressional campaign.

The indictment alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, secured funding intended for a COVID vaccine distribution program, but when overpayments were made, she routed the spending through several accounts that later donated the funds as campaign contributions.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said pursuant to House rules that Cherfilus-McCormick had to give up her ranking status on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. Local Democrats have started to issue calls for the Miramar Democrat’s resignation. But there have been no calls from Democratic members of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, has said if she won’t resign, he will move for her expulsion.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which lists Soto as a target in 2026, slammed Soto’s unwillingness to criticize a fellow Democrat.

“Darren Soto’s refusal to call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign is unacceptable,” said NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole. “Floridians deserve a representative who fights for them, not his taxpayer-thieving colleague.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Miami Select.