Ahead of the attempted site visit, the Democratic lawmakers said, "As lawmakers, we have both the legal right and moral responsibility to inspect this site.

Florida lawmakers worried about “humanitarian concerns” were denied entry into the new detention center dubbed as “Alligator Alcatraz” Thursday, just hours after the arrival of its first group of detainees.

Alligator Alcatraz is not just a moniker designed to sell political merchandise. It is actually the official name of the state-run immigration detention facility that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration built to help detain more people caught in President Donald Trump’s immigration sweeps.