Alligator Alcatraz
The South Florida Detention Facility, nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, is an immigration detention facility located at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida, United States. It is the first federally-funded, state-run facility for federal immigration detainees.
Federal instances, including Homeland Security, and the state government, represented by attorney general of Florida, James Uthmeier and the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis closely partnered on this facility as early as June 2025. In early August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed reception of a grant application from state officials and, on August 15, provided the Florida Division of Emergency Management with instructions related to the use of the US$608 million funds. The facility has faced lawsuits filed by environmental groups, civil liberties groups, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians; additionally, its legality has been questioned by a coalition of 67 members of Congress, led by Jeff Merkley and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Criticism generally focus on inhumane conditions faced by its detainees, its environmental impact, and the protection of ancestral lands. In August 2025, U.S. district judge Kathleen Williams granted a preliminary injunction halting construction and prohibiting the government from transferring any additional detainees to the site, which was later stayed by the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit allowing continued operations, In December 2025, the report "Torture and Enforced Disappearances in the Sunshine State: Human Rights Violations at 'Alligator Alcatraz' and Krome in Florida" published by Amnesty International concluded that the camp's conditions, including routine and prolonged use of shackles and retention in a "box" described as a 2x2 foot cage-like structure "constitutes torture". human rights organizations and legal experts claim the camp does not meet the minimum standards of human treatment required for persons detained under international law due to the declared absence of sanitary facilities, medical care and access to legal advice with potential violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Location
Located in the Everglades, the Big Cypress area was proposed to become the site of a new Miami Jetport and construction began in 1968 as Everglades Jetport. In 1969, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of The Everglades: River of Grass, founded Friends of the Everglades. Construction was halted in 1970 due to efforts of Native Americans including Buffalo Tiger, hunters, environmental concerns related to the Big Cypress Swamp and the cancellation of the 2707 Boeing program. By that point only one runway was built, the facility occupying 39 square miles.Following continued efforts to federally protect the area, Big Cypress National Preserve became one of the first National preserves in the United States National Park System on October 11, 1974. The Big Cypress National Preserve provides the Miccosukee, Seminole and Traditional people with permanent rights to occupy and use the land in traditional ways. In addition, they have first rights to develop income-producing businesses related to the resources and use of the preserve, such as guided tours.
State officials have argued that the facility's location and its susceptibility to hurricanes will encourage undocumented immigrants to self-deport.
Big Cypress National Preserve was designated a DarkSky International park in 2016; the nation's first preserve to achieve "dark sky" status.
History
Background
During his second and current tenure, President Donald Trump and his administration have pursued a deportation policy characterized as "hardline" and "maximalist". Trump has called for "huge camps" where migrants would be held in internment camps prior to deportation. On May 31, 2025, the Supreme Court approved the end of migrants' humanitarian legal status as part of mass deportation, but also highlighted the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of due process. Federal funding for the policy was voted by the U.S. Senate budget reconciliation bill on July 1, 2025, which includes $45 billion for immigration detention centers, a 265% increase to ICE's annual detention budget.DeSantis invoked a standing 2023 immigration "state of emergency" to seize the county-owned airfield and fast-track construction without the usual environmental reviews or the traditional collaboration with local officials. Democratic Party legislators have questioned the use and overreach of emergency powers. Demographers from Florida State University found that the number of immigrants without legal status in Florida has declined since 2018, concluding "that policies that discourage new arrivals or encourage — or force — migrants to leave could jeopardize Florida's robust economy and the well-being of its population."
Naming
On June 19, 2025, Uthmeier publicly announced the detention center in a video posted to Twitter, in which he called it "Alligator Alcatraz." U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem joined DeSantis and other Florida state leaders on July 1, 2025, for the facility's opening. Trump praised it, saying, "It might be as good as the real Alcatraz," adding it's "a little controversial, but I couldn't care less."In July 2025, Florida officials and several sources announced "Alligator Alcatraz" as the official name of the facility. The Tampa Bay Times and The Palm Beach Post described the speed of the construction as causing confusion on whether it was an official name or simply a branding effort, with a spokesman for the Florida Attorney General saying, "Yes, it is the official name". "Alligator Alcatraz" appeared on signs outside the facility. Some sources have stated that the official name is the "South Florida Detention Facility".
Political responses
On June 23, 2025, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava wrote to the Florida Division and stated, "With the federal and state government investing well over $10 billion since 2019 in Everglades restoration and protection, we would appreciate a detailed analysis and report on environmental impacts of this facility to the Everglades."After the facility's announcement, the Republican Party of Florida began to market "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise, including hats, shirts, and koozies with AI-generated images, while the state of Florida also handed out "official Alligator Alcatraz merch" to conservative influencers. Critics found the fundraising pitch cruel and inaccurate as hundreds of people being held there are not facing any criminal charges and the facility could be described as a concentration camp.
On July 2, Janelle Bynum, Maxwell Alejandro Frost and 22 other members of Congress wrote to Noem deploring that "detainees will be kept in tents with inadequate sanitation facilities and will face unbearable living conditions," including "exposure to deadly pathogens, constant threats from unpredictable flooding and extreme weather events, and daily temperatures averaging 90 degrees, with a heat index often over 100 degrees Fahrenheit."
In July, Florida Representative Anna Eskamani and State Senator Shevrin Jones joined lawmakers in suing DeSantis in order to gain access to the site. After their visit, they deplored the sanitary conditions, with Eskamani stating that the detention camp is "a political stunt with environmental damage and everyday lives being harmed. It needs to close immediately."
Construction and operational costs
Originally estimated to cost US$450 million a year to operate, the Federal Government has promised to reimburse the state of Florida US$608 million in expenses.Each bed was expected to cost $245 a day, more than the average estimated daily cost of detention of $187 for ICE. A team of private companies was mobilized to build the facility and the Florida National Guard deployed to secure the site. The Florida Division of Emergency Management and the governor's office bypassed procurement and competitive bidding rules and selected IRG Global Emergency Management, who had given $10,000 to Florida's Republican Party on June 24, 2025, for a $1.1 million contract for "operational support services in support of migration efforts in the State," followed by two more contracts with Florida, totaling over $5 million, for site shuttles, armory systems, on-site emergency services and air operations at the Ochopee site. IRG is an offshoot of Access Restoration Services US, Inc., a major campaign donor to DeSantis and totaling nearly $400,000 in donations to Republican coffers.
As of August 29, 2025, the State of Florida had incurred $218 million of sunk costs for the construction of the facility.
Detainees and reports of inhumane treatment
The first group of immigrant detainees arrived on July 3, 2025, beginning the facility's operations. A review of official records revealed that people detained at the facility included Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Director Kerner testified that "detainees were there solely on immigration violations, none on state criminal charges."Some detainees have reported harsh conditions at the facility, citing limited access to water, insufficient food, and restrictions on the practice of their religion. Detainees have described unsanitary conditions, including wastewater overflows and insect infestations, as well as inadequate access to medical care. The area on which the facility is located is also subject to frequent bouts of extreme weather, including yearly hurricanes, heavy rainfall, and high heat.
On July 12, Congressional and state lawmakers on-site reportedly heard cries of libertad, meaning "freedom" in Spanish, from detainees. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described the detainees as "essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage". Lawmakers were not permitted to view the entire facility.
According to a list of the population obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald in mid-July, more than 95% of the detainees held at the site originated from Latin American countries. Approximately 20% of the population are Guatemalan citizens, ~20% Mexican citizens, and another ~10% Cuban citizens.
On July 21, The Guardian described the facility as being at the center of "a succession of alleged abuses at jails operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency in the state since January, chronicled by the advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South from interviews with detainees". A month later, the outlet described reports of inhumane treatment and brutality at the camp as being commonplace.
On July 22, people detained on site began a hunger strike to protest what they consider to be inhumane and dangerous living conditions. Some detainees reported maggots in the food and having to "dig the fecal matter out of the toilets with their bare hands" for lack of plumbing. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has denied the claims, but no independent inspections have been allowed.
On August 29, three detainees said an uprising occurred at the facility in phone calls to Miami's Spanish language news channel Noticias 23. The incident allegedly occurred after several detainees shouted "freedom" after one received news a relative had died. The detainees described guards as indiscriminately beating detainees with batons and firing tear gas. The Florida Division of Emergency Management denied reports that the events had occurred.
The Miami Herald, as well as detainees' family and lawyers, reported that the whereabouts of about two-thirds of over 1,800 detainees held at the facility in July could not be determined. The New York Times reported that non-citizens from Cuba have been detained at the camp and deported at record numbers, including those seeking the right of asylum.