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FLORIDA - Florida officials are pushing forward with a controversial plan to convert a remote stretch of Everglades land into a detention center for migrants who allegedly entered the United States illegally.
Attorney General James Uthmeier has proposed transforming the long-abandoned Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport into a facility capable of housing up to 1,000 people, with potential expansion to 5,000.
Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the facility would reportedly rely on the surrounding swamp and wildlife, such as alligators and pythons, as natural deterrents to escape.
The state claims the site could be operational within 30 to 60 days using tents, trailers, surveillance, and National Guard support.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management sent a letter of intent to purchase the property for $20 million.
Officials describe the land as crucial for emergency response and migrant logistics.
State leaders have also claimed they secured preliminary support from federal agencies, including possible funding from the Department of Homeland Security’s Shelter and Services Program.
However, the plan has triggered backlash from environmentalists and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who called for a full review.
Critics warn the facility could disrupt the Everglades ecosystem, threaten clean water, and undervalue land appraised near $190 million.
Friends of the Everglades and Indigenous leaders have condemned the proposal, pointing to the area’s decades-old conservation legacy.
As Florida moves quickly to implement this initiative, intense legal and environmental scrutiny may decide whether “Alligator Alcatraz” becomes a reality or collapses under public pressure.