U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and several other Florida Democrats in Congress dashed off a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis to lodge their opposition to “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades.

They are demanding DeSantis ‘abandon’ the project, saying it will damage the environment; object to it being built on “sacred” Miccosukee tribal land; and are are “seriously concerned about the future treatment of immigrants” to be detained at the facility.

“We urge you to immediately reverse course, halt construction activity, and fully withdraw the proposal to establish any detention facility at the Dade-Collier site,” wrote the congressional lawmakers in the July 1 letter. “We further request that you commit to a transparent and science-based environmental review process for any future development plans affecting the Everglades region.”

This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida’s only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with MIA Media Group. Read more at WLRN.org