Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center Sparks Major Concern Among Activists as Construction Begins. Here's What to Know

Florida has begun building a new migrant detention center deep in the Everglades, springing into action after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved the development. The detention facility, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” due to its location, was spearheaded by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said on Monday that the center is part of his aim to “support President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary Kristi Noem in their mission to fix our illegal immigration problem once and for all.” The facility, located on an airstrip, will be used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to temporarily house migrants that are awaiting deportation. Currently, the site is equipped with “heavy duty” tents and trailers as the Florida summer is set to be even hotter than usual. The DHS is partnering with Florida to fast-track construction. “We are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” Noem told TIME in an emailed statement. Meanwhile, Uthmeier discussed the center during an appearance on The Benny Show podcast on June 23, sharing that the goal is to build 5,000 beds by early July. He says the construction will be minimal, since the center is in the middle of the Everglades—a national park wetland in South Florida filled with alligators, snakes, and mosquitos. “We don’t need to build a lot of brick and mortar… thankfully. Mother Nature does a lot on the perimeter,” he said regarding security efforts. An announcement video posted by Uthmeier features slow-motion footage of snapping alligators. Pictures of the site show the construction beginning on the environmentally-sensitive land, most recently known to be owned by Miami-Dade County, as law enforcement led in trucks carrying portable restrooms and industrial generators. According to the DHS, the facility will run at a cost of about $450 million a year, with the ability to seek reimbursement from the federal government, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has roughly $625 million in Shelter and Services Program funds that could potentially be allocated for this effort. The facility is being built at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which Uthmeier describes as a “virtually abandoned airfield.” Activists, though, do not agree. On June 22, protesters arrived at the Everglades to rally against the construction plans, as environmental activists emphasized that the wetlands form part of a protected and sensitive ecosystem. Jared Jacobs, a member of the Love The Everglades Movement, told local media at the demonstration: “[Alligator Alatraz] is not good for our people, it’s not good for our environment, it’s not good for our quality of life.” Calling the center an “embarrassment” for South Florida and the country, he said: “It’s a trigger… of a much deeper systemic problem and we’re seeing it here being built literally in the middle of our Everglades right next to the Miccosukee [Tribe] homelands.” The protest was organized by the activist group Friends of Everglades, alongside the Miccosukee tribe, who are native to the Florida region. One Miccosukkee Business Council member, Talbert Cypress, said via social media that the tribe strongly opposes the center, highlighting how it is set to be built next to 19 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages, as well as the Congressionally-authorized Miccosukee Reserved Area. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has also expressed concern about the project, and asked for more details about the potential environmental impact on the Everglades, saying that it would require “considerable review and due diligence.”