"Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center nears completion in Everglades amid growing backlash
Construction is nearly complete on "Alligator Alcatraz," a controversial migrant detention center deep in the Florida Everglades.
But while the state moves forward, opposition from environmental groups, Indigenous tribes and local residents continues to mount.
DeSantis defends site: "We aren't adding anything"
Gov. Ron DeSantis has maintained that the facility, being built on a little-used runway, will not harm the environment and is necessary to support immigration enforcement efforts.
"This is already built. We aren't adding anything," DeSantis said. "It's opposed by people against deportation."
The governor has said the Everglades site is part of a broader plan to house 10,000 migrants statewide, including at a designated site in North Florida and a possible future location in Okeechobee County.
DeSantis says these facilities will ease the burden on local jails, noting that Broward County currently holds 212 migrant detainees in custody.
Critics cite environmental and cultural concerns
Not all Floridians were aware of the project's location or scope. Vincent Cuchel, who often fishes in the Everglades, said he was surprised by the news.
"I wonder about the construction. We will have to wait and see," Cuchel said.
For many critics, the opposition is about more than immigration policy.
Indigenous leaders have voiced deep concern over the facility's placement in a culturally and environmentally sensitive area.
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has joined the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida in opposing the project.
"For the Miccosukee, this area protected us. It became our permanent home," said Miccosukee advocate Betty Osceola.
Protests grow as facility nears opening
Last weekend, demonstrators lined the road in front of the detention center. Activists are also organizing another protest for this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., using social media to rally support.
Despite mounting opposition, state officials continue to push ahead with the facility's opening, while critics vow to keep fighting.
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