Florida Migrant Center Faces Local and Tribal Opposition

Florida is constructing the 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center at a remote Everglades airstrip, with the project approved by the Department of Homeland Security and led by Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier. The facility, intended to support President Trump's mass deportation plan, will house up to 5,000 migrants in tents and trailers, utilizing the surrounding alligator- and python-inhabited terrain as a security barrier. State officials seized the land from Miami-Dade County after a dispute, citing urgent federal enforcement needs. The project faces significant opposition from local officials, environmentalists, and tribal leaders, who warn of severe ecological damage and encroachment on tribal lands. Local protests and calls for relocation have intensified as the opening date in July approaches. Despite controversy, state leaders promote the facility as cost-effective and innovative for immigration enforcement.