“Alligator Alcatraz”: a Detention Center Surrounded by a predator-filled swamp

Florida’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, has unveiled a controversial plan to establish a new immigrant detention center in the Everglades, using land previously occupied by the Dade-Collier airport runway, about 58 km (36 miles) southwest of Miami.

What is “Alligator Alcatraz”?

The site, colloquially known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” would be a facility capable of housing between 1,000 and 5,000 people, using tents and lightweight structures.

Dangerous animals — over 200,000 alligators and a significant population of pythons — would be used as a natural deterrent to prevent escapes.

Funding and Political Background

The project is already federally funded — estimated to cost around $450 million per year — and both the governor and attorney general hope to have it operational within days or weeks.

It’s part of a broader federal government strategy (like the use of Guantánamo Bay for immigrants) to intimidate detained immigrants held by ICE — who can now also be sent to third countries regardless of their nationality.

Criticisms and Concerns

Environmental and Cultural

Groups like Friends of the Everglades and Indigenous leaders such as Mad Bear Osceola denounce that the center desecrates sacred lands and could seriously damage the Everglades ecosystem.

Human Rights

The idea of holding people in such a hostile environment has been described as “inhumane” and cruel. There are serious concerns about whether the location meets basic standards of dignity and protection.

Management and Oversight

It remains unclear under what legal framework the facility would operate: there is no information about oversight, access to legal services, judicial review, or health and safety protocols for detainees.

Civil rights organizations point out that other centers in Florida have already been denounced for deplorable conditions, medical neglect, violence, extreme isolation, and barriers to legal counsel — and that’s without alligators being used as part of the security strategy.

Local Response

Miami-Dade and other local officials are demanding further studies on long-term impacts and are evaluating less risky alternatives.

Meanwhile, the debate continues over whether to focus resources on traditional infrastructure or resort to “natural” solutions.

In Summary

Alligator Alcatraz is an unprecedented proposal: using the dangerous wildlife of the Everglades — alligators and pythons — as “natural guards” for a massive detention center. It has sparked intense criticism for its potential environmental impact, human rights violations, and lack of adequate oversight.