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Everglades ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Opens to First Detainees as Lawsuits Mount

Constructed in under two weeks under state emergency powers, the Everglades camp operates without federal funding as lawsuits challenge its environmental impact on sacred tribal grounds.

Workers install a sign reading "Alligator Alcatraz" at the entrance to a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida.
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Overview

  • The center, opened July 1 under Florida’s 287(g) program, currently holds about 3,000 migrants with capacity set to reach 5,000 in coming days.
  • Operated exclusively with state funds and land under Gov. DeSantis’s emergency order, DHS has formally defended the facility while confirming it has provided no federal money.
  • Environmental and Native American groups have filed lawsuits over construction without standard reviews and on tribal land, and five Democratic lawmakers were denied inspection access.
  • A recent rainstorm flooded tents and submerged electrical cables, and experts warn that hurricane exposure and mosquito-borne disease pose additional risks to detainees.
  • A draft operational plan suggests that minors could be held at the remote site under constant supervision, intensifying human rights concerns.