Alligator Alcatraz: Florida’s Debated Migrant Detention Center

Deep within the Florida Everglades, around 50 miles from Donald Trump's Miami resort, a new front in immigration enforcement emerges: a makeshift detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” In mere days, the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport has been converted into a temporary facility expected to accommodate as many as 5,000 migrants pending deportation. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis embraced the facility's nickname, indicating that its unique location presents a secure environment. While state officials describe it as cost-effective, the project has provoked protests from immigration advocates, Indigenous communities, and environmentalists, who view it as a threat to sacred lands. Concerns grow over living conditions and environmental implications, especially given the proximity to Florida's crucial freshwater sources. With an estimated operational cost of $450 million annually, detractors argue the facility perpetuates suffering and is fundamentally inhumane, emphasizing the need for humane immigration policies instead.