Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz': Florida's controversial imigration detention camp in the Everglades

Time of India

6 hours ago

Inside 'Alligator Alcatraz': Florida's controversial imigration detention camp in the Everglades
Florida authorities say a new immigration detention hub, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz', will be ready within days at Everglades airfield 72 km west of Miami. The site, located at a defunct airstrip west of Miami, is ringed by swampland teeming with mosquitoes, pythons and alligators—natural barriers that Florida officials see as part of the security infrastructure.
The facility is part of an aggressive push by state and federal authorities to expand immigration enforcement ahead of the 2024 US election. Designed to house up to 5,000 detainees by early July, the temporary compound features tents, trailers and disaster-style infrastructure, according to Florida attorney general James Uthmeier, a close ally of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and a key figure in the state's immigration crackdown.
'We don't need to build a lot of brick and mortar,' Uthmeier said in a recent interview. 'Thankfully, Mother Nature does a lot on the perimeter.' He added: 'There's really nowhere to go. If you're detained there, there's no way in, no way out.'
Massive funding, controversial execution
The Biden-era tax bill passed by the US House of Representatives allocates $45 billion over four years to expand immigrant detention—more than tripling previous spending. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has embraced the Florida facility as part of its broader effort to boost detention capacity to 100,000 beds, up from 41,000.
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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the project will be largely funded through FEMA's Shelter and Services Program, usually reserved for natural disasters.
With operational costs expected to reach $450 million annually, the facility will be run by private vendors at an estimated $245 per bed per day. Both federal ICE detainees and immigrants arrested by Florida officers under the revived 287(g) program will be held there.
That controversial program allows state and local law enforcement to act as de facto immigration agents. Florida now holds over 280 of the 720 agreements ICE has with local agencies nationwide.
Environmental and human rights concerns
The site's location—surrounded by Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve—has reignited long-standing environmental concerns. More than 50 years ago, activists, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas, successfully blocked plans for a super-airport on the same land.
Now, groups like Friends of the Everglades are warning against what they call a dangerous repeat.
'This land is part of one of the most fragile ecosystems in the country,' the group said. 'Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past.'
Human rights advocates have also condemned the project. Maria Asuncion Bilbao, of the American Friends Service Committee, called the facility a 'theatricalization of cruelty' and raised alarms about the health risks posed by extreme heat, remoteness and exposure to insects.
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost went further, calling the use of wildlife as a deterrent a 'cruel spectacle.'
Emergency powers fast-track the build
Construction is being carried out under emergency powers invoked by DeSantis via an executive order initially issued during the Biden administration to respond to the so-called 'border crisis.' That order allows the state to bypass procurement laws and accelerate construction on county-owned land, despite strong opposition from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, local tribal leaders and activists.
Democrats have called the move an abuse of power. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried accused the governor of undermining the rule of law, while critics warn that the sweeping authority granted to Florida's emergency management head Kevin Guthrie could set a dangerous precedent.
Still, state officials remain defiant. 'Florida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement,' a spokesperson for DeSantis said.