Latest news with #Dade-CollierTrainingandTransitionAirport
Miami Herald
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Protests continue over the construction of ‘Alligator Alcatraz' in the Everglades
Hundreds of people gathered in the heart of the Everglades on Saturday—signs raised and chants echoing—to protest 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a migrant detention center being built on a former airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve. Demonstrators lined both sides of the narrow two-way road leading to the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a remote landing strip just north of Tamiami Trail. The site, located in Miami-Dade County, is where Attorney General James Uthmeier and Governor Ron DeSantis have expedited construction of the controversial facility. According to officials, supply trucks have been arriving daily to have the center operational by next week. Read more: Meet the folks who live near 'Alligator Alcatraz' and call the Everglades home Dozens of trucks carrying supplies could be seen going in and out of the facility on Saturday as protesters waved their signs towards them. Signs included 'Protect the sacred' and 'Everglades Only,' while others called the construction of the detention center 'Crimes against humanity.' Described by authorities as 'temporary,' the 1,000-bed facility will primarily consist of large tents and trailers, designed to detain undocumented immigrants apprehended in Florida and beyond. Read more: 'Alligator Alcatraz': What you need to know about the Everglades detention camp Since the announcement, the project has faced sharp criticism from Indigenous leaders, environmental groups and members of the South Florida community. They argue that the detention center will damage critical wetlands, disrupt wildlife habitats, and undermine decades of restoration work. At the forefront of Saturday's demonstration was Betty Osceola, a Miccosukee tribe member and activist, who was raised in Big Cypress. Osceola told reporters that she is alarmed at the speed of construction on the detention center, especially when many people still recovering from past hurricanes haven't received comparable support or resources. She was troubled by the sheer amount of resources being funneled into the project and voiced concern about its environmental impact, warning that it could pave the way for permanent development on the land. Read more: Environmental groups file lawsuit over 'Alligator Alcatraz' in Florida Everglades On Friday, two environmental organizations—Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity—filed a lawsuit against federal, state, and county officials, alleging that construction began without proper environmental review or public input, in violation of required procedures.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
Where is ‘Alligator Alcatraz'? In the heart of the Glades, out past the airboat rides
The state of Florida's controversial new immigration detention facility dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' sits smack in the center of the Florida Everglades. The project — which initially will consist of tents, trailers and portable bathrooms — is located on the north side of the historic east-west corridor long known as the Tamiami Trail but formally designated as U.S. 41. The camp is being quickly thrown up on the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a property owned by Miami-Dade and recently seized by the state. Few travelers would even notice the road leading to the airport gate as they zoom by at 60 mph-plus. The site lies about 40 miles west of the Miami International Airport and about halfway to Naples, out past a series of tourist stops offering airboat rides like Coopertown and Everglades Safari. It's also west of the Shark Valley outpost in Everglades National Park, famed for its tram rides and long biking trail. The closest large landmark to its east is the Miccosukee Indian Village. Drive west and there are a string of camp grounds, then 10 miles later you'll see famed Everglades photographer Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery. Keep going and you'll pass Skunk Ape Research Center, an attraction devoted to the mythical swamp dweller. A little further and you'll see the Ochopee Post Office, reputed to be the smallest operating post office in the country. The facility is within Big Cypress National Preserve, federally protected land, and surrounded on three sides by Miccosukee and Seminole tribal infrastructure, including homes and ceremonial sites. The airport was constructed in the 1960s as part of an ill-fated effort to build the largest airport in the nation, the Everglades Jetport, before environmentalists shut it down. Since then, the airport has served as a training ground — or emergency landing spot — for pilots of planes large and small.
