A legal and environmental firestorm is growing around Florida’s controversial migrant detention center — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” — under construction at the remote Dade‑Collier airstrip in the Everglades.
On June 27, two conservation groups, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt construction. They argue the state bypassed required environmental reviews under both the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, putting wetlands and fragile ecosystems at risk. The suit specifically cites threats to wetlands, endangered species, and culturally important tribal lands.
Environmentalists rallied on June 28, with dozens gathering near the site in a protest organized by tribal elder Betty Osceola. Many held signs emphasizing the “sacred” nature of the land and decried rushed decisions that ignored public input.
According to AP News, the center is designed to house up to 5,000 migrants in temporary structures and will rely on nearby swampland, as well as local wildlife like alligators and pythons, as natural barriers. It is expected to become operational by early July and cost around $450 million per year, funded via FEMA’s shelter and services program.
Florida officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis and AG James Uthmeier, defend the project as an efficient processing site, while critics, including Miami‑Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, demand environmental impact assessments.
With lawsuits filed and protests ongoing, the debate captures the clash between accelerated immigration enforcement and preservation of sensitive tribal and ecological lands within a UNESCO‑linked wetland.
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