Alligator Alcatraz Exposed: Inside Florida’s Controversial Migrant Camp
- Teo Drinkovic
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
Alligator Alcatraz, Migrant Center, or Concentration Camp? Everglades detention center under fire for inhumane conditions, deportation flights & legal backlash
Introduction
“Alligator Alcatraz” is actually the nickname for a migrant processing and deportation facility that quickly became the official name. This center was born as a response to President Trump’s deportation policies under his administration.
It is located at the abandoned Dade‑Collier Training and Transition Airport within Big Cypress National Preserve, southwest of Miami, at the heart of Florida’s Everglades. It is naturally barricaded by swamps teeming with alligators and pythons, in an isolated and ecologically sensitive area.
The idea to establish this immigrant center was launched in June 2025 by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, under the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis. Wikipedia
How the Name “Alligator Alcatraz” Came About
The facility’s name was coined in June 2025 during a promotional video by James Uthmeier, who officially dubbed the new detention site “Alligator Alcatraz”. Wikipedia
The name combines the local Everglades environment, infested with alligators and pythons, with the infamous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay, symbolizing isolation and inescapability.
Governor DeSantis quickly embraced the name, and during a visit on July 1, 2025, President Donald Trump called it “Alligator Alcatraz,” joking that alligators act as natural guards whom you don’t need to pay. He added: “It might be as good as the real Alcatraz.” This publicity helped cement the name’s acceptance and eventual official adoption. Wikipedia
Construction, Capacity, and Funding of Alligator Alcatraz
DeSantis invoked 2023 immigration state of emergency powers to seize the county-owned airfield and circumvent normal permitting and environmental review.
He mobilized private contractors and deployed the National Guard to build and secure the site, completing initial tents, trailers, sanitation facilities, processing areas, and a runway capable of deportation flights in just over eight days.
Initial capacity was set at 1,000 detainees, with a projected expansion to up to 5,000 beds by early July 2025. Wikipedia
Annual operating costs are estimated at $450 million, funded by the state of Florida with anticipated reimbursement requests to FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. cbsnews.com
Detainees and Conditions at Alligator Alcatraz
The first group of detainees arrived on July 3, 2025, marking the operational start of the facility. Wikipedia
Journalists and detainees have reported serious delays in transport—groups waiting hours in buses without food or water before being moved into fenced tent units. Inside, they face overcrowding, lack of religious or legal support, limited or no recreation space, and no access to a canteen or vending machines. The Guardian
Health and hygiene services have been described as minimal. Requests for masks, showers, or legal assistance are reportedly often denied or delayed. Detainees report overflowing sewage, insect infestations, and insufficient medical care. Some people reportedly held have no criminal history or pending deportation orders. cbsnews.com
Italian detainees, such as Gaetano Costa and Fernando Artese, described the camp as “a cage” with no legal process and minimal basic rights, calling it a “concentration camp.” The Times
Reported examples:
Rick Herrera (55, Argentina): Held overnight on a bus tied up without food or water; marked with a red wristband due to a criminal record; denied religious materials, recreation, contact with counselors or inspectors.
Alexander Boni (32, Cuba): Requested a mask after his group became ill and was denied one.
Italian detainees Gaetano Costa and Fernando Artese: Reported overcrowding, lack of climate control, missing information about their legal cases, calling the center a “concentration camp”. The Washington Post
Reactions to Alligator Alcatraz
Mass protests began in June 2025, including Indigenous-led prayer walks organized by Betty Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe. Participants—around 700 to 1,000—blocked access roads carrying signs like “Hands off our Everglades,” demanding a halt to construction. The Seminole Tribe also opposed the site, citing the sacred nature of the land. Wikipedia
On June 27, environmental groups (Friends of the Everglades and Center for Biological Diversity) filed a federal lawsuit, alleging violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, demanding an environmental review and public comment, claims state and federal officials dismissed as “politicized” efforts to delay the project. Wikipedia
Critics have compared the facility to Nazi concentration camps; some coined the term “Alligator Auschwitz”. Historians warn that such analogies may exaggerate, noting that while conditions are harsh, they do not resemble the genocide camps where millions were killed. Wikipedia
Conclusion
Alligator Alcatraz is not merely a detention center; it is a symbol of the 2025 Trump-linked immigration strategy. With Trump’s public involvement and the symbolic naming, “Aligator Alcatraz,” surrounded by dangerous Everglades wildlife, the site projects a narrative of isolation and deterrence.
Yet, the reported treatment of detainees, restricted movement, minimal rights, unsanitary conditions, and lack of legal recourse echo the characteristics of concentration camps in World War II, reinforcing human rights abuse accusations. Such treatment is unjustifiable for any person, especially for our neighbours who, until recently, enjoyed the status of U.S.-based residents.
This is a disgrace to America and its people. Trump is an idiot and his entire MAGA movement
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