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Gov. Ron DeSantis calls on sheriffs for weeklong stints at 'Alligator Alcatraz'

Martin County deploys 10 deputies, 1 commander to site in the Everglades

WFTS

By: Jamie Ostroff

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MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — We have learned that Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on sheriffs across Florida to help with security at "Alligator Alcatraz," and local agencies are answering that call.

WPTV chief investigator Jamie Ostroff has been on top of every development at the immigration detention facility located in the Everglades since it opened this summer.

WATCH BELOW: Local deputies sent to 'Alligator Alcatraz'

Martin County deploys 10 deputies, 1 commander to 'Alligator Alcatraz'

We learned that 10 Martin County sheriff's deputies and one commander left early Sunday morning for "Alligator Alcatraz".

They're part of the sheriff's rapid response team — a group that responds to emergencies like hurricanes and crowd control issues.

But Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told WPTV on Monday that this deployment wasn't an emergency.

Budensiek said the governor's office has asked every sheriff in Florida to send a team on a rotating basis for week-long deployments at "Alligator Alcatraz".

"They'll make sure the checkpoints are manned properly, and they'll be outside the wire making sure that the outside perimeter is secure and not interacting with any inmates unless something goes catastrophically wrong," Budensiek said.

The team from Martin County relieved a team from Palm Beach County.

Budensiek said no serious incidents have been reported to him, before or since his deputies were sent out, and that the most serious concern his team was briefed on was avoiding snake bites.

The sheriff also said he's had time to plan for the absence of the 10 deputies while they are away, and that local agencies will be reimbursed by the state for their time and resources.

"We're always happy to help our partners," Budensiek said. "We're not trying to make this a political thing, but it is something where our deputies can go down there and learn and hopefully bring back better tactics for Martin County."

We emailed a list of questions to both the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which runs Alligator Alcatraz. As of Monday evening, neither has responded.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said last week that the federal government approved more than $600 million to reimburse Florida for its immigrant-detention efforts.

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