Lawmakers at both state and federal levels have been invited to visit the contentious detention facility called Alligator Alcatraz in Tallahassee, Florida, following a previous denial of access.

Democrats called the invite a sanitized “Photo op” and say future unannounced visits are still coming.

Recently, five state representatives attempted to visit Alligator Alcatraz without prior notice and were turned away, prompting them to initiate legal action in Florida’s Supreme Court.

Those very lawmakers were invited back to attend a state-led tour of the detention site, but not everyone is buying it.

“During my seven years in public service, I’ve never experienced being denied entry to any detention center,” stated State Representative Anna V. Eskamani from Orlando.

Eskamani, alongside State Rep. Angie Nixon, Michele Rayner, and State Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith were all turned away due to safety reasons from the Division of Emergency Management.

Following that day, Florida Congressional Democrats in Washington D.C. had quietly planned their own unannounced visit for this Saturday, but before they could make the stop, the state schedule its own tour for the exact same day.

“Obviously somebody got word of it and decided to put this cleanse sanitized version together. They’re only going to allow us in there for an hour and a half,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, (D-FL 25). “We’re going to come back and make sure that we get to see how things really are on a day-to-day basis when they’re not expecting us.”

“What concerns me about any scheduled visit is that it’s going to be curated,” Eskamani said. “It’s going to be sanitized; it’s going to be restricted in an effort to tell one side of the story, and that’s why the ability to make unannounced visits as legislators is so critical and also a very normal part of governing.”

Critics said Saturday’s tour is meant to sanitize public perception and prevent oversight of the facility, as more reports circulate of poor conditions at the camp.

“We spoke to the relatives,” said State Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens. “We spoke to the attorneys of individuals who are inside these facilities, and they have made it clear that the conditions inside these facilities are inhumane.”

Eskamani described these poor conditions to range from individuals being denied medical attention to fights breaking out at the facility.

“We have been receiving phone calls, emails, direct messages from loved ones of detainees and lawyers of detainees sharing with us,” Eskamani said. “The conditions of this facility ranging from a lack of running water, people bathing with toilet water as a result, toothbrush being delayed or denied, the food quality being to the point where there’s bugs in the food.”

“I want to make it clear that this outcry is just not coming from Democrats, I spoke with three of my Republican colleagues yesterday. They too, are up in arms about what’s happening,” said Senator Jones. “They too know that there’s something going on behind closed doors at that facility that is inhumane.”

Even with those concerns, Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to defend the camp. This week at a press conference, he said the site is temporary, necessary, and will be fully reimbursed by the federal government.

“If the feds have enough space, you know, in six months or a year, then, great, and then we won’t necessarily need to be doing it,” DeSantis said. “But there is a need now and we’re not just going to sit on our hands.”

8 On Your Side reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management asking for details about Saturdays tour and why state lawmakers were denied access in the first place.

In response, they sent the following statement:

“Yesterday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management invited all Florida legislators to tour Alligator Alcatraz this weekend. Today, five Democrat legislators responded by filing a frivolous lawsuit demanding access to Alligator Alcatraz. The State is looking forward to quickly dispensing with this dumb lawsuit.”