Hidden in the depths of the Everglades lies South Florida’s newest addition: Alligator Alcatraz. The immigration center has caught the attention of citizens and noncitizens across the country. Environmental and human rights activists have cited deep concern, while proponents find the facility to be an innovative deterrent against illegal immigration. But why does it matter if it shuts down or stays open?
Alligator Alcatraz originally started as a remote and under-utilized runway owned by Miami-Dade County. It can be found in the Big Cypress National Preserve, part of Florida’s unique wetlands called the Everglades.
Despite being built on federally protected land without local approval, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis extended Florida’s state of emergency on mass illegal immigration to greenlight the construction of the detention facility. This holding center was originally described as “temporary” by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to meet the Trump Administration’s growing initiative on detaining unlawful immigrants.
The facility contains tents and cells holding up to 5K detainees. The meaning behind its notorious name lies within its surroundings. With temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes, alligators, pythons, wildfires, and hurricanes, the Florida Everglades hosts a set of potentially deadly challenges for any prisoner looking to escape.
President Donald Trump visited and praised the new facility, saying that its construction was “enhancing” the Everglades since “the only way out, really, is deportation.” However, activists and locals see the detention center as a violation of environmental and human rights.
Is Alligator Alcatraz Actually Temporary?
On Aug. 21, Miami Federal District Court Judge Kathleen Williams ruled to halt construction and operations at the South Florida Detention Facility. Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, and the Miccosukee Tribe of the Everglades had all called for Alligator Alcatraz to be shut down, citing environmental impact and a lack of proper review.
Transporting mass amounts of construction materials, running large generators, and moving waste out of the facility are all areas of concern for these organizations, as they threaten the delicate Everglades ecosystem, drinking-water supply, and endangered wildlife. Judge Williams sided with the plaintiffs, who argued that the facility was subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) since it was operated under the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Two weeks later, on Sept. 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit paused Judge Williams’ ruling, effectively allowing more detainees to be sent to Alligator Alcatraz. As the first state to run its own immigration detention center, the appellate court ruled that the facility doesn’t need to comply with NEPA since it’s completely paid for by the state. However, the Florida government is seeking federal grants to partially fund the immigration facility after already spending $245 million to build and operate it.
Will It Matter If It Stays Open?
In addition to its unconventional location and environmental concerns, Alligator Alcatraz has garnered mass media attention for its alleged inhumane living conditions.
Former inmates of the facility, Rafael Collado and Rivas Velasquez, reported a lack of access to daylight and medical care, overflowing sewage, sweltering temperatures, mosquitoes, and cramped cells. Their attorneys also pointed out that there were no confidential visitation tents or publicly available contact methods for reaching detainees.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to these claims on Aug. 14, classifying them as “hoaxes.” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that “the media is clearly desperate for these allegations of inhumane conditions at this facility to be true.”
Examples of claims deemed false by the DHS include a hunger strike, flooding, and wastewater on the floor. The DHS also argues that there is an email where attorneys can send requests to speak to an inmate. Despite the firm denials, more reports of human rights violations continue to be published.
On Aug. 31, BBC News published an article in the wake of Alligator Alcatraz’s temporary halt, highlighting more cases of inmates facing horrid living conditions. The mother of one detainee explained her son “woke up covered in blood” after not receiving proper care following surgery.
The wife of detainee, Marco Bravo, didn’t know about her husband’s location for over a month after he left his home in Tallahassee, FL. His records didn’t appear on the official ICE locator database, making it increasingly difficult for his family to contact him and find out where he would be transferred to. She finally learned that Bravo had been sent to Alligator Alcatraz after receiving several short and sporadic phone calls from him.
The living conditions and effectiveness of Alligator Alcatraz are still part of a developing story. The remoteness and lack of public witnesses make the immigration facility a source of controversy and unease. One thing is for certain: it’ll continue processing more people as part of Florida’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
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