(NewsNation) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised the legal team behind a recent appeal allowing a contested immigration detention center to continue operating in the Everglades.
The facility — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by Republican lawmakers — was previously under an order to suspend its operations indefinitely after facing litigation over environmental and human rights concerns. A federal appeals court on Thursday stayed that order.
“Thank goodness we got Alligator Alcatraz back open, operating, continuing to deliver for the American people,” he said Friday on “NewsNation Live.”
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Uthmeier commended the legal “smackdown” and doubled down that the facility is not hostile to the environment or inhumane — as protestors, former center workers and legislators have claimed.
“Everybody gets the resources they need in this facility. It’s air-conditioned,” he said. “Unlike a lot of jails in this country, the staff eats the same food. There’s medical services on site, legal counsel available, so people are getting the fair process.”
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Driver in deadly Florida Turnpike crash will be held accountable: AG
Uthmeier also discussed the ongoing case against 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, a native of India and the driver accused in a deadly crash on the Florida Turnpike.
Singh is accused of making an illegal U-turn while driving on the state’s major toll road in August, resulting in a crash that killed three people
He now faces up to 45 years in prison and possible deportation.
“The individual did not speak English, could not read road signs, and ultimately engaged in an unlawful, dangerous U-turn that cost three people their lives,” Uthmeier said. “Gross negligence happened at the least, possibly even criminal activity.”
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Authorities said Singh is in the United States illegally and was issued a commercial driver’s license from California — one of 19 states that grant licenses regardless of immigration status.
“Ultimately, he endangered the lives of Americans. So we’re going to crack down, and we’re going to use every legal tool we have to hold wrongdoers accountable,” Uthmeier said.
A petition circulating online calling the crash a “tragic accident” has garnered millions of signatures, with petitioners asking that Singh get a fair and reasonable sentence for his transgressions.
NewsNation’s Brooke Shafer contributed to this report.
