Overview

• Alligator Alcatraz began operations on July 1 at the Dade-Collier airfield with tents and trailers holding its initial cohort of migrant detainees under a Florida-funded, FEMA-reimbursed program.
• Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity sued to halt the project, claiming the eight-day build violated NEPA and endangered species protections in the wetlands.
• Storm footage verified by Sky News shows floodwater around power cables during early July rains, prompting engineers and medical experts to warn of heightened hurricane, flooding and staffing risks.
• The Department of Homeland Security promotes the site’s role in detaining violent criminal illegal aliens while Trump administration lawyers argue DHS did not authorize or fund the build to avoid environmental review obligations.
• Private contractors are advertising on-site security and support roles at $25 per hour and Gov. DeSantis predicts annual costs of $450 million will be fully reimbursed by the federal government.