Democratic lawmakers denied entry to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration jail

Workers install a sign at the entrance to a new immigrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, on Thursday in Ochopee, Florida. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

A group of Florida lawmakers were denied entry on Thursday into the new Florida-based immigration jail dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” one day after the first immigrant detainees began to arrive.

Five Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter the facility, which was previously toured on Tuesday by White House officials, but were stopped by law enforcement officers from local agencies, according to the state representative Anna Eskamani in an interview with CNN.