Source: Scripps News
Posted 1:55 PM, Jul 06, 2025
Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/im ... everglades
Florida’s first migrant detention and deportation facility — dubbed Alligator Alcatraz — has officially opened deep in the Everglades, drawing applause from Republicans and sharp condemnation from Democrats and environmental advocates. The facility opened last Tuesday with a presidential visit and shortly after began receiving detainees.
The temporary facility, with a capacity of up to 3,000 detainees, was fast-tracked into existence just weeks after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier pitched the idea. He insisted that detainees will be treated fairly and processed swiftly. “We'll make sure people get the necessary due process,” Uthmeier said. “We'll get them in, get them out.”
But that reassurance hasn't quelled growing criticism. Democrats in the Florida Senate, House, and congressional delegation have voiced strong objections, especially over environmental and human rights concerns. “Florida’s River of Grass is no place for a prison,” lawmakers wrote in a joint letter calling on Governor Ron DeSantis to shut the facility down.
“We urge you to immediately reverse course, halt construction activity, and fully withdraw the proposal to establish any detention facility at the Dade-Collier site,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in the letter. “We further request that you commit to a transparent and science-based environmental review process for any future development plans affecting the Everglades region.”
