U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents Florida’s 14th district in Congress, called for the immediate closure of the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in a series of tweets posted on July 17 and 18, 2025. Castor criticized the conditions at the site and urged legislative action to end what she described as inhumane treatment of detainees.
On July 17, Castor wrote, “Alligator Alcatraz must be shut down immediately. Detainees are being subjected to inhumane conditions – cages inside tents – at great expense to Florida taxpayers who oppose such wasteful spending and cruel treatment of immigrants. It’s an environmental catastrophe as well,” highlighting both humanitarian and environmental concerns related to the facility.
Later that evening, she posted another message stating, “DeSantis and Trump compete to outdo each other’s cruelty often to distract from inflation and the rising cost of living. Alligator Alcatraz is a gross and shameful abuse of human rights – caging human beings in sweltering tents with no or limited access to clean water, medical”. In this tweet, Castor directly linked state and national political figures to what she termed abuses at the facility.
On July 18, Castor promoted pending legislation by writing, “The ‘No Cages in the Everglades Act’ puts an end to this cruelty, protects our precious wetlands and sacred tribal lands and restores oversight and transparency.”
Kathy Castor has served as U.S. Representative for Florida’s 14th District since 2007 after replacing Jim Davis; prior to her congressional tenure, she was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Born in Miami in 1966 and currently residing in Tampa, Castor holds degrees from Emory University (BA) and Florida State University (JD).
Her recent comments come amid ongoing debate over immigration enforcement practices in Florida and follow broader discussions about human rights protections at detention facilities across the country.
