On July 15, 2025, U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) revealed shocking details about an internment camp set up in Florida’s Everglades, where detainees are processed without any formal charges filed against them. This alarming situation signals a disturbing trend in the erosion of civil rights and democratic governance under the Trump administration.
Detainees Processed Without Legal Oversight
According to Frost's findings during a restricted oversight visit to the facility, detainees are kept in a newly created private tracking system that circumvents the established judicial process. "The system they use is not the normal one used by the courts," Frost stated, highlighting the intentional obfuscation designed to keep operations off the books. This innovative approach to detaining individuals marks a significant departure from standard legal protocols. Normally, individuals arrested must be charged and appear before a judge within 24 hours, as reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Noem v. Abrego Garcia earlier this year.
Cutting Courts Out of Immigration Enforcement
The implications of this approach are staggering. Instead of adhering to established judicial practices, the Trump administration, through the hands of advisor Stephen Miller, has devised a plan that dismisses charges against immigrants en masse to avoid legal accountability. This effectively eliminates the court's role in immigration enforcement, allowing the administration to deport individuals without any legal recourse. Frost’s report indicates that the camp has an airstrip on-site, facilitating immediate deportations, thereby bypassing any semblance of fair trial or due process.
Trump visits 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center
The Human Cost of Arbitrary Detention
As reported by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, over 700 individuals, many with no prior criminal history, have been detained in this facility. Frost described a scenario where a minor traffic violation could lead to a person disappearing into the detention system, illustrating a broader trend of racial and socio-economic profiling in immigration enforcement. This mirrors historical injustices, such as the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, where individuals were unjustly stripped of their rights and freedoms.
Profit Motives Behind Inhumane Conditions
The conditions at the internment camp have raised alarms among lawmakers and civil rights advocates. Reports suggest the facility is being used to funnel taxpayer money into private companies, which thrive on the incarceration of individuals. Frost’s investigation into the camp has revealed not only inhumane living conditions but also an alarming lack of medical care, echoing the broader failures of the American healthcare system for marginalized communities. The financial incentives tied to the internment system must be scrutinized as they incentivize the continued detention of individuals without charges.
The Capitol - Florida Department of State
Calls for Congressional Action
Frost has called for immediate congressional action to close this facility and the other detention centers contracted by the Trump administration. The ongoing normalization of such oppressive measures poses a direct threat to civil liberties and the values enshrined in our Constitution. As the narrative of legality continues to erode under the guise of national security, lawmakers must confront the systemic injustices that allow for these practices to persist.
