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Alligator Alcatraz
Immigration detention facility in Florida, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The South Florida Detention Facility, nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz,[3][4] is an immigration detention facility located at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida, United States. It is the first state-run facility for federal immigration detainees.[5]
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The facility was announced in June 2025 by the attorney general of Florida, James Uthmeier, and backed by the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.[6] The camp is the focus of lawsuits filed by environmental groups,[7] civil liberties groups, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, and its legality questioned by congressmen Jeffrey A. Merkley, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and 65 others,[8] with criticisms generally focused on inhumane conditions faced by its detainees,[9] its environmental impact,[10] and the protection of ancestral lands.[11] In August 2025, U.S. district judge Kathleen Williams granted a preliminary injunction halting construction and prohibiting the government from transferring any additional detainees to the site, which was later stayed by the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
The moniker alludes to both the local American alligator population and the former maximum-security Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
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Location
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Located in the Everglades, the Big Cypress area was proposed to become the site of a new Miami Jetport and construction began in 1968 as Everglades Jetport. In 1969, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of The Everglades: River of Grass, founded Friends of the Everglades. Due to efforts of Native Americans including Buffalo Tiger, hunters, environmental concerns related to the Big Cypress Swamp and the cancellation of the 2707 Boeing program, construction was halted in 1970 after the completion of just one 10,500-foot (3,200 m) runway, the facility occupying 39 square miles (100 km2).[12]
Following continued efforts to federally protect the area, Big Cypress National Preserve became, on October 11, 1974, one of the first National preserves in the United States National Park System.[13] The Big Cypress National Preserve provides the Miccosukee, Seminole and Traditional people with permanent rights to occupy and use the land in traditional ways; in addition, they have first rights to develop income-producing businesses related to the resources and use of the preserve, such as guided tours.[14]
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State officials have argued that the facility's location and its susceptibility to hurricanes will encourage undocumented immigrants to self-deport.[15]
Big Cypress National Preserve was designated a DarkSky International park in 2016; the nation’s first preserve to achieve “dark sky” status.[16]
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History
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Background
During his second and current tenure, President Donald Trump and his administration have pursued a deportation policy characterized as "hardline" [17] and "maximalist".[18] Trump has called for "huge camps"[19] where migrants would be held in internment camps prior to deportation.[20] On May 31, 2025, the Supreme Court approved the end of migrants' humanitarian legal status as part of mass deportation, but also highlighted the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of due process.[21] Federal funding for the policy was voted by the U.S. Senate budget reconciliation bill on July 1, 2025, which includes $45 billion for immigration detention centers, a 265% increase to ICE’s annual detention budget.[22]
DeSantis invoked a standing 2023 immigration "state of emergency" to seize the county-owned airfield and fast-track construction[23] without the usual environmental reviews or the traditional collaboration with local officials.[24] Democratic Party legislators have questioned the use and overreach of emergency powers.[25] Demographers from Florida State University found that the number of immigrants without legal status in Florida has declined since 2018, concluding "that policies that discourage new arrivals or encourage – or force – migrants to leave could jeopardize Florida’s robust economy and the well-being of its population."[26]
Naming
On June 19, 2025, Uthmeier publicly announced the detention center in a video posted to Twitter, in which he called it "Alligator Alcatraz." U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem joined DeSantis and other Florida state leaders on July 1, 2025, for the facility's opening. Trump praised it, saying, "It might be as good as the real Alcatraz," adding it’s "a little controversial, but I couldn’t care less."[27]
In July 2025, Florida officials and several sources announced "Alligator Alcatraz" as the official name of the facility.[28][29][30] The Tampa Bay Times and The Palm Beach Post described the speed of the construction as causing confusion on whether it was an official name or simply a branding effort, with a spokesman for the Florida Attorney General saying, "Yes, it is the official name." "Alligator Alcatraz" appeared on signs outside the facility.[28][29] Some sources have stated that the official name is the "South Florida Detention Facility".[3][31]
Political responses
After the facility's announcement, the Republican Party of Florida began to market "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise, including hats, shirts, and koozies with AI-generated images, while the state of Florida also handed out "official Alligator Alcatraz merch" to conservative influencers.[28] Critics found the fundraising pitch cruel and inaccurate as hundreds of people being held there are not facing any criminal charges and the facility could be described as a concentration camp.[32]
On July 2, Janelle Bynum, Maxwell Alejandro Frost and 22 other members of Congress wrote to Noem deploring that "detainees will be kept in tents with inadequate sanitation facilities and will face unbearable living conditions," including "exposure to deadly pathogens, constant threats from unpredictable flooding and extreme weather events, and daily temperatures averaging 90 degrees, with a heat index often over 100 degrees Fahrenheit." [33]
In July, Florida Representative Anna Eskamani and State Senator Shevrin Jones joined lawmakers in suing DeSantis in order to gain access to the site. After their visit, they deplored the sanitary conditions, with Eskamani stating that the detention camp is “a political stunt with environmental damage and everyday lives being harmed. It needs to close immediately.”[34]
Construction and operational costs
The facility is estimated to cost US$450 million a year to operate,[35] with each bed expected to cost $245 a day, more than the average estimated daily cost of detention of $187 for ICE.[36] A team of private companies[37][38] were mobilized to build the facility and the Florida National Guard deployed to secure the site.[39][40] The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the governor's office bypassed procurement and competitive bidding rules and selected IRG Global Emergency Management, who had given $10,000 to Florida’s Republican Party on June 24, 2025, for a $1.1 million contract for "operational support services in support of migration efforts in the State,” followed by two more contracts with Florida, totaling over $5 million, for site shuttles, armory systems, on-site emergency services and air operations at the Ochopee site.[37] IRG is an offshoot of Access Restoration Services US, Inc., a major campaign donor to DeSantis and totaling nearly $400,000 in donations to Republican coffers.[38]
As of August 29, 2025, the State of Florida had incurred $218 million of sunk costs for the construction of the facility.[41]
Initial detainees and reports of inhumane treatment
The first group of immigrant detainees arrived on July 3, 2025, beginning the facility's operations.[42] A review of official records revealed that people detained at the facility, included Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.[43] Director Kerner testified that "detainees were there solely on immigration violations, none on state criminal charges."[44]
Some detainees have reported harsh conditions at the facility, citing limited access to water, insufficient food, and restrictions on the practice of their religion.[45] Detainees have described unsanitary conditions, including wastewater overflows and insect infestations, as well as inadequate access to medical care.[46] The area on which the facility is located is also subject to frequent bouts of extreme weather, including yearly hurricanes, heavy rainfall, and high heat.[47]
On July 12, Congressional and state lawmakers were given a tour of the facility. Lawmakers reportedly heard cries of libertad, meaning "freedom" in Spanish, from detainees. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described the detainees as "essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage". Lawmakers were not permitted to view the entire facility.[48]
According to a list of the population obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald in mid-July, more than 95% of the detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz originated from Latin American countries. Approximately 20% of the population are Guatemalan citizens, ~20% Mexican citizens, and another ~10% Cuban citizens.[49]
On July 21, The Guardian described the facility as being at the center of "a succession of alleged abuses at jails operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) in the state since January, chronicled by the advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South from interviews with detainees".[50] A month later, the outlet described reports of inhumane treatment and brutality at the camp as being commonplace.[51]
On July 22, people detained on site began a hunger strike to protest what they consider to be inhumane and dangerous living conditions.[52] Some detainees reported maggots in the food and having to "dig the fecal matter out of the toilets with their bare hands" for lack of plumbing. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has denied the claims, but no independent inspections have been allowed.[53]
On August 29, three detainees said an uprising occurred at the facility in phone calls to Miami's Spanish language news channel Noticias 23. The incident allegedly occurred after several detainees shouted "freedom" after one received news a relative had died. The detainees described guards as indiscriminately beating detainees with batons and firing tear gas. The Florida Division of Emergency Management denied reports that the events had occurred.[51]
In September 2025, the Miami Herald reported that it couldn't determine the whereabouts of about two-thirds of over 1,800 detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz in July.[54]
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Legal challenges
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Native American tribal rights
Miccosukee Tribe Chairman Talbert Cypress testified in a recent lawsuit that this is not the first time the tribe has had to fight for its land and rights, affirming, “we will always stand up for our culture, our sovereignty, and for the Everglades”[55] There are 15 remaining traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages in Big Cypress, as well as ceremonial and burial grounds and other gathering sites, Cypress testified before Congress in 2024. “We live here. Our ancestors fought and died here. They are buried here,” he said. “The Big Cypress is part of us, and we are a part of it.”[56] The Seminole Tribe of Florida was likewise in opposition citing sacred lands.[57][58]
Environmental challenge and injunction
In June 2025, Betty Osceola, a Miccosukee tribal judge and member of the Everglades Advisory Committee, organized Indigenous-Led Prayer Gatherings and public demonstrations to highlight environmental and cultural concerns. Talbert Cypress, chairman of the Miccosukee Business Council, noted that no environmental impact research had been done and that some Native villages were within 900 feet (270 m) of the camp's entrance.[59]
On June 27, 2025, a coalition led by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians filed suit in a federal court seeking an injunction until a full environmental review and public-comment period are completed.[60] Plaintiffs argue the project threatens endangered species habitat, including that of the Florida Panther and the Florida bonneted bat, and violates both the National Environmental Policy Act and tribal cultural-resource protections.[61]
On August 7, 2025, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams temporarily halted construction at the facility for two weeks, while she considered if the detention center violates environmental laws. Witnesses testified that 20 acres (8 hectares) of new asphalt had been laid, while temporary tents, trailers, and other heavy equipment were at the airport.[62] Located in tropical wetlands, its infrastructure and sewage may be sources of both water pollution and light pollution.
Judge Williams later granted a preliminary injunction on August 21 that prohibits the government from transferring any additional detainees to the site or performing any more construction work. She also ordered the Trump administration to remove temporary fencing, industrial lighting, generators, sewage and waste receptacles from the site within 60 days.[63] Uthmeier stated that they plan to keep the ICE facility running, despite the court order.[64] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, stayed the injunction pending appeal.[65]
Civil liberties challenges
On July 16, 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Florida, and Americans for Immigrant Justice filed a class action suit claiming the Trump administration violates the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights of people being detained, as well as the First Amendment rights of legal service organizations and law firms with clients held at the facility.[66] The civil rights groups' lawsuit alleges detainees are being held without charges and are not being given access to their attorneys.[67] As part of this lawsuit that also contests the federal cancellation of bond hearings, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz has requested all written agreements and contracts showing who has legal custody of the hundreds of detainees.[68]
Immigration attorneys described the facility's alternate system as a place "where the normal rules don’t apply". Internal data show that the vast majority of detainees did not have final orders of removal from a judge before entering the facility, but they may have been deported as the facility’s population fell to below 400 late August.[69]
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Public response
Critics compare the facility to Nazi concentration camps, referring to it as "Alligator Auschwitz"[70] while others situate it within American concentration camps,[71] such as Manzanar. Members of the Republican Party, including DeSantis,[72] have defended the facility, arguing it will help the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cope with the deportation policy of the federal government.[73] The camp has been labeled a "black hole" following the irregular disappearance of detainees.[74]
Public opinion
Polling on July 4, 2025, by YouGov found that 48% of Americans polled opposed the detention center, with 33% supporting it and 18% unsure, while 53% of independents polled opposed the facility.[75] In their poll on July 20, 28% of women and 42% of men approved the camp.[76] A poll among Florida voters from July 25 to 27 found that 34% of Floridians held a favorable opinion and 59% saying they disapprove of using the state of Florida’s taxpayer-funded Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund to cover costs.[77]
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References
External links
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