‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees face human rights violations, report alleges | First Thing

Amnesty finds detainees at Florida facility were shackled and left outside in metal cage. Plus, how the dollar-store industry overcharges consumers

Good morning.

Detainees at the notorious Florida immigration jail known as Alligator Alcatraz" were shackled inside a 2ft-high metal cage and left outside without water for up to a day at a time, a shocking report published on Thursday by Amnesty International alleges.

Didn't a judge order the facility to shut down? A federal judge in August ordered it to close after a wave of criticism and a lawsuit by environmental groups. However, by October, the facility was operating again with hundreds of detainees after two Trump-appointed appellate court judges - one whose husband has close ties to the Republican governor Ron DeSantis - blocked the closure ruling.

Has the state of Florida responded to the allegations? The press secretary to DeSantis told the Guardian the allegations were fabrications" and part of a politically motivated attack".

Why have they released these photos now? It's unclear. Even though the images do not reveal anything new, they keep the pressure on the Trump administration ahead of a 19 December deadline for the justice department to release files, as per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed 19 November.