Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has demanded the immediate repatriation of at least 30 Mexican citizens held at a controversial immigration detention centre in Florida, known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'. In a statement on Wednesday, she said a note had been sent to US authorities insisting that any Mexicans detained at the facility should be returned to Mexico without delay.
Sheinbaum said the detainees had no reason to be held in such a place, and that Mexico sought their return under United States law. The 39-acre site, located around 40 miles from Miami, has faced criticism from non-profit organisations over conditions including overcrowding, sewage backups and lack of medical care.
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration and local Florida officials have touted the facility's isolated setting in a swamp infested with pythons, alligators and crocodiles. The Mexican consul in Miami, Rutilio Escandón, visited the centre this week, becoming the first foreign consul to do so.
Escandón reported complaints from 39 Mexicans he interviewed, including being allowed to bathe only every three days and extreme temperature variations, with air conditioning sometimes set to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. He also noted the presence of mosquitoes and oppressive heat.
On Sunday, two young brothers held at the facility were repatriated to Mexico, according to Roberto Velasco Álvarez of the Mexican foreign ministry. One of them had been visiting the US on a tourist visa. The facility opened amid a nationwide US crackdown on migrants, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducting raids that have detained tens of thousands of people.
Sheinbaum expressed deep concern over the treatment of Mexican citizens, saying: 'The treatment of our fellow citizens there, particularly with these raids, is deeply painful. We will always be there to support them.'
