The Florida Supreme Court on Monday sent to a lower court a case filed by Democratic state lawmakers after they were denied entry to a controversial immigrant-detention center in the Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Rep. Michelle Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, Rep.Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, and Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, filed the case at the Supreme Court last week seeking what is known as a “writ of quo warranto” and arguing that Gov. Ron DeSantis administration’s refusal to grant entry July 3 to the facility violated Florida law.
They asked the Supreme Court to force DeSantis “to provide immediate, unannounced access” to the facility. But the Supreme Court on Monday sent the case to Leon County circuit court. “The transfer of this case should not be construed as an adjudication or comment on the merits of the petition, nor as a determination that the transferee court has jurisdiction or that the petition has been properly titled as a writ of quo warranto,” the Supreme Court order said.
“The transferee court should not interpret the transfer of this case as an indication that it must or should reach the merits of the petition.” Amid the controversy, state lawmakers and members of Congress were allowed to visit the facility on Saturday, though Democrats said the visit was tightly controlled and left unanswered questions.
–News Service of Florida
