Kristi Noem takes NBC host to task after liberal tears over 'inhumane' Alligator Alcatraz
The interview came after Democratic lawmakers described the facility as a humanitarian nightmare.
In a blistering exchange with NBC anchor Kristen Welker, Noem accused Democrats of hypocrisy and political theater after a congressional tour of the facility ended with accusations of inhumane treatment and squalid conditions.
'I wish they would've said that during the Biden administration,' Noem said as Welker repeatedly pressed her about reports of overcrowded cells and unsanitary water sources.
'They were piling people on top of each other on cement floors... and they didn't have two feet to move. They never did that, and that's why this politics has to end.'
The clash came just 24 hours after Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats toured the newly opened compound and compared it to an internment camp.
'There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down,' Wasserman Schultz told reporters. 'This place is a stunt, and they're abusing human beings here.'
According to lawmakers on the tour, more than 30 migrants were packed into cage-style cells with just three combination sink-toilets. Temperatures hovered in the mid-80s inside medical intake tents.
Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and other insects were rampant. One detainee reportedly shouted, 'I'm an American citizen!' while others chanted 'Libertad!', Spanish for 'freedom.'
Welker confronted Noem with such claims: 'Thirty people stuffed into a jail cell? Drinking water from the same place they use the bathroom?'
But Noem appeared unshaken and fired back. 'Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high. This is a state-run facility, but it still exceeds the requirements.'
She elaborated: 'I have been there and I have seen the rooms they are in. I will call them jail cells - it's a facility where they are held that are secure and meet the highest levels of what the government requires for detention.'
When Welker pushed further, saying Democrats have 'called them cages,' Noem announced that the administration would soon allow cameras into the facility.
'We'll take cameras and show people what the facilities look like. Because if you compare them to what happened under the Biden and Obama administrations, these centers are at the highest levels - even higher than our federal prison standards.'
Noem also disclosed plans for expansion. 'We are going to expand,' she told Welker. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one. We are looking for more information and how we can get more detention.'
Noem stood by the facility and doubled down, revealing that five Republican governors have already spoken with her about using the Florida site as a model.
'We are going to expand,' Noem said. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one.'
Currently, media access remains blocked and journalists were not allowed to attend Saturday's tour. Legislators were also barred from bringing phones or cameras inside.
Critics, including attorneys and advocacy groups, claim the facility is little more than a prison camp hidden deep in Florida's swamps.
Detainees have reported worms in the food, overflowing toilets, and 24-hour lockdowns in cages teeming with mosquitoes.
At least one minor and several individuals with no criminal record are reportedly being held.
'These are human beings who have inherent rights, and they have a right to dignity,' immigration attorney Josephine Arroyo said. 'They're violating a lot of their rights by putting them there.'
A Venezuelan detainee described the facility as a 'zoo cage,' adding that detainees were being pressured to sign self-deportation documents.
There are several people protesting outside the Alligator Alcatraz facility
Republican lawmakers say the criticisms are exaggerated.
'The rhetoric coming out of the Democrats does not match the reality,' Florida State Senator Blaise Ingoglia said. 'The living quarters were clean. The air conditioning worked well. No squalor.'
State Senator Jay Collins, a US Army veteran who toured a different section, agreed.
'Would I want that toilet-and-sink combination at my house? Probably not, but this is a transitional holding facility.'
Division of Emergency Management spokesperson Stephanie Hartman called the reports of mistreatment 'completely false.'
'The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order,' Hartman said. 'Every detainee gets three meals a day, unlimited drinking water, showers, and other necessities.'
The Alligator Alcatraz facility was constructed in days and built on a remote airstrip in the Everglades. It now holds nearly 900 detainees but has a capacity of over 3,000.
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