Alligator Alcatraz Opens Amid Mosquito, Storm Health Threats Florida Everglades

The newly opened immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, has drawn significant criticism due to its hazardous conditions. Built rapidly in eight days, the facility consists primarily of tents and chain-link fences, and has already experienced flooding, raising concerns about its ability to withstand hurricanes, especially given its location in a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Experts and lawmakers have highlighted the severe mosquito problem at the site, which hosts several mosquito-borne viruses, including some that can cause neurological damage and have no vaccines or treatments, posing a serious health risk to detainees and staff. Despite President Donald Trump and Florida officials promoting the facility's remote location and natural dangers like alligators and pythons as deterrents, the more immediate threats are environmental and health-related. Access to the facility has been restricted, limiting oversight and transparency, prompting calls from Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups for clearer information about operations, costs, and detainee conditions. Reporters covering the area have also struggled with the pervasive mosquitoes, underscoring the inhospitable environment of the detention center.