Florida's Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Detention Center in Everglades

As trucks arrive at an abandoned Florida airport to build the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center, concerns grow about its environmental impact and the treatment of detainees. Proposed under Governor DeSantis's order to support Trump's immigration agenda, the facility aims to hold up to 1,000 migrants but faces backlash from local communities and human rights organizations.

A convoy of trucks laden with tents, construction materials, and portable toilets has begun to gather at a nearly deserted airport in Florida's stunning Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, these trucks are not part of a bid to develop a new tourist hub; instead, they are establishing "Alligator Alcatraz," a migrant detention facility in the heart of a Miami swamp.

This facility is being developed under the direction of state lawmakers to further the deportation policies of former President Donald Trump. State Attorney General James Uthmeier remarked in a promotional video that “you don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter. If people get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons.”

Located on the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport—approximately 43 miles from central Miami—the detention center's construction site is surrounded by swamplands. The area is primarily a pilot training airstrip enveloped by vast, ecologically significant wetlands. The oppressive summer heat and abundance of mosquitoes hinder any meaningful inspection of the site, only to be halted by a guard in a vehicle as they approached.

The airstrip is owned by Miami-Dade County, yet the decision to convert it into a detention center stems from an executive order issued by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023 to manage the influx of undocumented migrants. Authorities claim the new facility will hold around 1,000 detainees and is expected to open by July or August. This initiative has transformed into a contentious emblem of the Trump administration's strict immigration policy.

In a recent press briefing, DeSantis suggested this wouldn't be the only such facility, hinting at developments for another center at Camp Blanding, a former US Army training site over 300 miles north. “We’ll probably also do something similar there,” he stated, signifying broader plans in alignment with Trump's mass deportation strategy, which has already seen ICE holding a record 59,000 detainees—140% over its intended capacity.

Concerns regarding environmental and human rights issues are mounting. Betty Osceola, a member of the nearby Miccosukee Native American community, has raised alarms about potential long-lasting environmental damage and the prolonged treatment of detainees, rather than adhering to the administration's claims of temporary use. Organizations like Friends of the Everglades and the ACLU of Florida are echoing her concerns, labeling the facility "cruel and absurd" and an extension of punitive practices in immigration enforcement.

In a social media statement, Uthmeier promoted the detention center as a low-cost and efficient solution. However, many local residents and activists express skepticism about the long-term implications of such an establishment on both the environment and human lives.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the facility as a necessary expansion of detention capabilities, assuring that federal funds would aid its development. In her comments, she emphasized the urgency to accomplish mass deportations as mandated by public opinion.

Miami-Dade County’s Democratic Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, has voiced her concerns about funding and environmental implications linked to the new facility. As the debate rages on, many undocumented immigrants within the region live in fear, opting to remain in the shadows rather than risk detention amidst increasing immigration enforcement measures.