Latest news with #CarlosGuillermoSmith
CNN
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Lawmakers who tried to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz' amid humanitarian concerns were denied entry
Democratic Florida state Sens. Shevrin Jones, left, and Carlos Guillermo Smith, far right, along with state Reps. Anna Eskamani, right, Michele Rayner and Angie Nixon, center, spoke with law enforcement outside the 'Alligator Alcatraz" facility on Thursday. Florida lawmakers worried about 'humanitarian concerns' were denied entry into the new detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' Thursday, just hours after the arrival of its first group of detainees. 'They stopped us pretty immediately,' said Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, one of the five Democratic state lawmakers who attempted to visit the facility and inspect its grounds following reports of flooding and other issues. The lawmakers were stopped by law enforcement officers from multiple Florida agencies and later, a general counsel from the Florida Division of Emergency Management cited a 'safety concern' for the denial without offering specific details, Eskamani said. 'If it's unsafe for us, how is it safe for the detainees?' Eskamani said she asked the attorney. The group's request to see the outer perimeter of the tent facility was also denied, Eskamani said. The lawmakers said in a joint statement that Florida law allows state legislators to 'have full access to inspect any state-operated facility.' They referenced two Florida statutes: one gives members of the legislature authority to visit all state correctional institutions 'at their pleasure' and another allows them to visit county and municipal detention facilities. 'This is a blatant abuse of power and an attempt to conceal human rights violations from the public eye,' the group said. CNN has reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment. The incident is one of a spate of recent tense encounters involving lawmakers at immigration detention centers. Last month, Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted on federal charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers outside a Newark, New Jersey, detention center as she and other Democratic lawmakers tried to visit the facility in May. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the scene after he tried to join the lawmakers inside the facility. Detainees have arrived at the facility in the middle of the Florida Everglades, the state emergency management agency said Thursday, following reports of flooding earlier this week. Prior to trying to enter the facility, the lawmakers noted there have been reports of extreme heat, structural issues, environmental threats and human rights violations that 'demand immediate oversight.' 'What's happening here is un-American,' the group of state lawmakers said in a joint news release before going to the facility Thursday. 'What we're witnessing isn't about security or solving problems—it's about inhumane political theater that endangers real people.' President Donald Trump toured the facility Tuesday and shortly after, summer storms amid the region's hurricane season brought flooding, adding to a list of concerns about the facility's readiness to house migrants. Wires were seen submerged in pooling water across the floor and high winds made the floor and walls of the facility's tents tremble, reporter video from CNN affiliate Spectrum News 13 showed. A combination of weather observations and estimates from radar indicate that anywhere from around 0.4 to 1.5 inches of rain fell at the facility in less than two hours on Tuesday, according to CNN Weather. Later that night, 'vendors went back and tightened any seams at the base of the structures that allowed water intrusion during the heavy storm, which was minimal,' Stephanie Hartman, a spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told CNN in a separate request for information about the flooding. But more rainfall could be on the horizon amid the region's hurricane season and the chance for storms in the forecast every day in the next week, according to CNN Weather. It's unclear how many detainees are currently being housed at the compound as of Thursday, but it has the capacity to hold 3,000 people, with room for more, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a roundtable Tuesday alongside Trump. Beds are seen inside a migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1. DHS says it isn't directly involved with the facility The US Department of Homeland Security said it has not been directly involved in 'Alligator Alcatraz,' according to a federal court filing submitted Wednesday, a move distancing the Trump administration from the makeshift detention facility. 'DHS has not implemented, authorized, directed, or funded Florida's temporary detention center,' the court filing reads. Thomas Giles, the interim assistant director for Enforcement and Removal Field Operations at ICE, said in a declaration that ICE's role 'has been limited to touring the facility to ensure compliance with ICE detention standards, and meeting with officials from the State of Florida to discuss operational matters.' The agency made the declaration as part of a federal lawsuit filed by two environmental groups seeking to stop the use of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as a site to house undocumented detainees. The groups allege the 'reckless plan' will put at risk the ecologically sensitive Everglades wetland. In the court filing, DHS argued the facility is built and run solely by the state of Florida. The state can detain undocumented people at the facility under the 287(g) program, which allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to perform specific immigration enforcement duties under ICE's supervision, Giles said in the court filing. 'The ultimate decision of who to detain at the TNT Detention Facility belongs to Florida,' he said. Despite distancing itself from the facility, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin said authorities will 'expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.' As part of the lawsuit, the Department of Justice defended the development of the facility, saying that delaying its construction 'would imperil critical immigration enforcement efforts and endanger detainees in overcrowded detention facilities.' DHS said the state has not received or applied for federal funds related to the detention center. But a declaration submitted by a Federal Emergency Management Agency official as part of the lawsuit noted a $600 million detention support grant program has been established to help the state with immigration detention. Once the program is finalized, the Florida Division of Emergency Management can apply for federal funds for the state's detention facilities. On Thursday, the US military also said it would send about 200 Marines to Florida to assist ICE as part of a broader push to deploy active-duty troops to assist with deportations. A statement from US Northern Command didn't say where in Florida the Marines would be sent, or whether they will support 'Alligator Alcatraz,' but noted they would 'perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities.' Detention center is 'as safe and secure as you can be,' governor says Nestled in the middle of Florida's humid, subtropical wetland ecosystem, 'Alligator Alcatraz' was transformed from a training and transition airport to a temporary tent city for migrants. The expected cost to run the detention center for one year is $450 million, a DHS official told CNN, adding that Florida will front the costs of the facility and then 'submit reimbursement requests' through FEMA and DHS. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the facility is necessary to alleviate burdens on the state's law enforcement agencies and jails, and touted it for being designed to be 'completely self-contained' – which has prompted local immigration rights advocates to accuse his administration of creating a facility 'engineered to enact suffering.' Related article Trump's visit to a migrant camp called 'Alligator Alcatraz' stirs dark echoes 'Clearly from a security perspective, if someone escapes, there's a lot of alligators you're going to have to contend (with),' DeSantis said last week. 'No one is going anywhere once you do that. It's as safe and secure as you can be.' Migrants will be housed in repurposed FEMA trailers and 'soft-sided temporary facilities,' a DHS official told CNN. The same tents are often used to house those displaced by natural disasters, like hurricanes, DeSantis' office said. They likely will provide the only shelter from Mother Nature as summer in South Florida proves to be the region's wettest season, in part due to the tropical activity of hurricane season and daily thunderstorms. State officials said they are developing evacuation plans for the facility in the event of severe weather. CNN's Shania Shelton, Chelsea Bailey and Luke Snyder contributed to this report.
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Lawmakers were stopped from entering Alligator Alcatraz. That may violate Florida law
A group of Florida lawmakers were barred from entering Alligator Alcatraz, the state-run detention facility for migrants in the Florida Everglades, Thursday afternoon. Citing 'safety concerns,' a representative with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the state agency overseeing the detention facility's operation, was at first hesitant to allow lawmakers into the facility. Ultimately, lawmakers were denied access after a back-and-forth that lasted more than an hour and told to return at a later time. 'I find it hard to believe that they have safety concerns for us but no safety concerns for the president of the United States when he was here just two days ago,' Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, told the Herald/Times as he was trying to gain access into the site. Denying access to lawmakers may run afoul of Florida law, which says members of the Legislature are allowed to 'visit at their pleasure all state correctional institutions.' It's the same case for the governor, all Cabinet members, judges of state courts, state attorneys and public defenders. Smith was one of five Democratic state lawmakers – including Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, and state Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg — who traveled to the remote site trying to go inside the facility. The site opened on Tuesday with a visit from President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, and which received the first immigration detainees Wednesday night. Even before the lawmakers were denied access, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier — who gave the facility its official name, Alligator Alcatraz, emblazoned on state signs Wednesday — made light of their plans. 'I hope they have an airboat,' Uthmeier said in a post on X. The detention center for migrants — which was erected in an eight-day span — is a state-run facility operated by private vendors. A draft operational plan created by the State Emergency Response Team and obtained by the Miami Herald characterizes the site as a state 'temporary detention facility.' Documents say the facility should meet the minimum standards for jails across the state as well as the standards U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sets for state and local facilities its contracts with to house immigrant detainees. Smith said he wants to go inside the facility because he is concerned about its conditions, citing issues with flooding and a lack of information on what the state's evacuation plan is for detainees in case of an emergency. In a court filing Thursday morning, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made it clear the site is a state-built and run operation, and that the feds have 'not implemented, authorized, directed or funded Florida's temporary detention center.' In a separate filing, a top official of ICE — the DHS agency tasked with arresting and deporting immigrants — says that ICE's role has been limited to ensuring compliance with detention standards. 'The State of Florida is responsible for the funding and construction of the facility,' wrote Thomas Giles, assistant director for ICE field operations.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A big deal for Central Florida': Hotel tax shakeup gains momentum
A tax package advancing in the Florida Senate could shake up how Orange County spends tens of millions of dollars in hotel tax revenue, potentially directing money from tourism advertising to mass transit and other transportation needs. The changes, green-lighted by the Senate's Finance and Tax Committee on Tuesday, could allow more than $50 million to be shifted from Visit Orlando, the region's tourism development organization, to public projects like expanding SunRail. The proposal eases a requirement that at least 40% of Orange County's roughly $360 million in hotel taxes go to tourism marketing and advertising. Visitors pay the tourist development tax when they stay in hotels and short-term rentals. Getting the item into the Senate's tax package is a 'big deal for Central Florida,' said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, who introduced the hotel-tax changes. But it still faces significant hurdles, including potential opposition of tourism industry lobbyists, and the question of whether the state House and the governor will go along. Smith's proposal softens the mandatory spending requirement for tourism promotion to no more than $50 million, or about half of what is spent currently by Visit Orlando. Smith has been critical of Visit Orlando, saying it subsidizes Walt Disney World's and Universal Studios' corporate marketing budgets. 'Government spending on advertising is not acceptable,' Smith said. In past years, the Republican-dominated Legislature has shown little appetite to restructure the tourist development tax. But this year, Senate leaders meshed Smith's proposal into an overall tax bill. It was given initial approval Tuesday with little discussion. The change, if signed into law, 'gives Orange County the ability to invest hotel tax dollars into our transportation needs,' he said. 'We can finally use that TDT revenue to link Sunrail to the (Orlando International) Airport… and upgrade our Lynx buses.' Having a reliable mass transit system connected to Orlando's airports and major attractions is key to making Central Florida a world-class resort destination, Smith said. Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, another advocate for overhauling tourist development taxes, called the development 'very significant.' Visit Orlando's leaders, however, argue they deliver an economic return that benefits the community and extends to all parts of the tourism industry. In addition to promoting Orlando's brand globally, the organization works to attract conventions, gather economic data and forge community partnerships. Visit Orlando reports that about 40% of its members are small businesses. Visit Orlando and the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association did not respond to emails Tuesday seeking comment. Swifties or SunRail? Orlando lawmakers question hotel tax spending Visit Orlando's marketing efforts have included television ads that aired during the Summer Olympics, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and other major events, including a $600,000 spot that ran during Taylor Swift's on-demand concert movie featured on the Disney+ streaming platform. In addition to tourism promotion, tourist development tax revenue is used for the Orange County Convention Center, sporting venues, and the arts and museums. The tax package will be hashed out between the House and Senate during the final weeks of the legislative session, which is scheduled to end May 2. In addition to the hotel tax change, the Senate's $2.1 billion tax relief proposal also includes a permanent elimination of the sales tax on clothing and shoes under $75. House Speaker Daniel Perez is calling for lowering the sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%, which is estimated to produce $5 billion in savings.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida bill could allow agencies to withhold names of officers who shoot people
Florida law enforcement officers who use deadly or harmful force could have their names shielded from the public under a proposed state law. The proposal would prohibit law enforcement agencies from releasing any public record that identifies the officer for 72 hours after they shoot someone or use other force that causes 'great bodily harm.' But even after that 72-hour period expires, an agency head can decide to indefinitely withhold the officer's information if they deem it necessary. The proposal comes in a larger bill meant to shield the identities of crime victims. A 2018 constitutional amendment known as Marsy's Law protects some personal information of crime victims. But the Florida Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that did not include the blanket right to redact their names. The ruling came after Tallahassee police officers fatally shot people in two separate incidents. Their agency withheld the officers' names because the officers said they were victims because they were assaulted by the people they shot. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said he's sponsoring the legislation because of that Supreme Court ruling, saying victims' names should be protected. But he said he's still working on the language about withholding police officers' identities. The bill has moved through one committee in both the House and the Senate, where it received only one no vote, from Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando. Smith said he thought the 72-hour cooling-off period was reasonable to delay releasing an officer's name. But he expressed concern about giving an agency 'subjective' discretion to exempt officers' names indefinitely. The bill would allow for an officer to choose to waive the public records exemption at any time. Meanwhile, another bill moving in the House would prohibit officials from including an investigative file in an officer's personnel file if that investigation didn't result in any disciplinary action. It has not been heard in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, would also require all complaints against a law enforcement officer be signed under oath. And it would require that an officer be told the names of all people making complaints against them. The bill was unanimously supported by Republicans and Democrats during its first House committee. But the Florida Sheriffs Association opposes it. The association did not return a request for comment, but Fabricio said the Sheriffs Association didn't want the sworn complaint requirement to be codified across the board.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Officers who shoot people could have names withheld under Florida bill
TALLAHASSEE — Florida law enforcement officers who use deadly or harmful force could have their names shielded from the public under a proposed state law. The proposal would prohibit law enforcement agencies from releasing any public record that identifies the officer for 72 hours after they shoot someone or use other force that causes 'great bodily harm.' But even after that 72-hour period expires, an agency head can decide to indefinitely withhold the officer's information if they deem it necessary. The proposal comes in a larger bill meant to shield the identities of crime victims. A 2018 constitutional amendment known as Marsy's Law protects some personal information of crime victims. But the Florida Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that did not include the blanket right to redact their names. The ruling came after Tallahassee police officers fatally shot people in two separate incidents. Their agency withheld the officers' names because the officers said they were victims because they were assaulted by the people they shot. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said he's sponsoring the legislation because of that Supreme Court ruling, saying victims' names should be protected. But he said he's still working on the language about withholding police officers' identities. The bill has moved through one committee in both the House and the Senate, where it received only one no vote, from Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando. Smith said he thought the 72-hour cooling-off period was reasonable to delay releasing an officer's name. But he expressed concern about giving an agency 'subjective' discretion to exempt officers' names indefinitely. The bill would allow for an officer to choose to waive the public records exemption at any time. Meanwhile, another bill moving in the House would prohibit officials from including an investigative file in an officer's personnel file if that investigation didn't result in any disciplinary action. It has not been heard in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, would also require all complaints against a law enforcement officer be signed under oath. And it would require that an officer be told the names of all people making complaints against them. The bill was unanimously supported by Republicans and Democrats during its first House committee. But the Florida Sheriffs Association opposes it. The association did not return a request for comment, but Fabricio said the sheriffs association didn't want the sworn complaint requirement to be codified across the board.
