Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Migrant Detention Center Ignites Political and Environmental Firestorm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Construction is underway on Florida’s controversial migrant detention facility, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport deep in the Everglades. The 30-square-mile site, surrounded by swamps teeming with alligators and pythons, is designed to house up to 5,000 detainees in temporary tents and FEMA trailers as part of the Trump administration’s expanded deportation efforts.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has promoted the facility as a “cost-effective” solution, emphasizing the natural barriers provided by the Everglades’ dangerous wildlife and remote location. “From a security standpoint, if anyone attempts to escape, they’ll have to deal with numerous alligators,” DeSantis said, calling the site “as secure as it can get”. The project is expected to cost $450 million annually, with partial reimbursement from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program. The facility, rapidly converted from an 11,000-foot runway, is scheduled to be operational by July 1, 2025, with President Donald Trump set to attend the opening alongside DeSantis and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The announcement has triggered fierce backlash from environmentalists, Native American leaders, and immigration advocates. Groups such as Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit on June 27, 2025, arguing the project violates environmental regulations and threatens endangered species, including the Florida panther and American crocodile. Native leaders, including Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress, condemned the use of sacred ancestral lands, highlighting the area’s cultural and historical significance.

Protests erupted on June 28, with hundreds lining US Highway 41 to oppose the facility, citing potential environmental destruction and concerns over inhumane conditions for detainees. Critics, including Florida Democratic lawmakers and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, have questioned the rushed approval process, the state’s $20 million offer for land appraised at $190 million, and the facility’s compliance with due process and humane treatment standards.

Despite the controversy, the Florida GOP has embraced the project, launching “Alligator Alcatraz” merchandise and signaling further expansion, with DeSantis hinting at a second facility at Camp Blanding. The facility has become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate, with supporters touting its security and critics decrying its environmental and human rights implications.