‘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 consumersGood 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. Continue reading...