In a surprising and possibly unlawful act, five state legislators were denied entry Thursday into a taxpayer-funded migrant detention center deep in the Everglades, raising questions about what will happen behind the razor-wire fences that are being erected surrounding the controversial facility the state has named Alligator Alcatraz.

Florida lawmakers argued state law grants elected officials access to inspect state-operated facilities without approval, but the Florida Division of Emergency Management denied their request.