Overview

• The first group of migrants arrived at the Everglades camp dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” on July 1, with roughly 3,000 individuals detained under the federal 287(g) enforcement program.
• The center was erected in eight days on seized state land using state emergency powers and funding, outfitted with more than 200 security cameras, 28,000 feet of barbed wire and 400 staff.
• Officials are adding 500 beds at a time to reach an estimated 5,000-bed capacity by early July to alleviate overcrowding and expedite deportations.
• Department of Homeland Security filings emphasize that no federal dollars have been spent even as White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller urges other Republican governors to build similar detention sites.
• Environmental and Native American groups have filed lawsuits over Everglades harm and sacred-land impacts, and protesters have clashed with authorities over restricted site access.