The Trump Administration has announced the opening of a new immigrant detention center in the heart of Florida's Everglades, a facility described as "the Alcatraz of crocodiles", a name that leaves little to the imagination and evokes images of extreme confinement, isolation, and punishment.
In a press conference held this Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Donald Trump will travel to Florida to personally inaugurate the center, located at the remote Dade-Collier training and transition airport, accompanied by figures such as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Governor Ron DeSantis, and Congressman Byron Donalds.
"There is only one entrance road and one single exit. The only exit is a one-way flight", Leavitt stated while describing the relentless nature of the place, surrounded by dangerous wildlife and hostile vegetation.
The facility, as specified, will have the capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 immigrants with criminal records, as part of what he described as “the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history.”
Built in just a week on a disused runway in Miami-Dade County, the "Alligator Alcatraz" evokes the legendary prison of San Francisco and the hostile environment of the Everglades, teeming with alligators and endangered panthers. The unofficial name, even adopted by Republican leaders, aims to project a message of strength and punishment, with clear political intentions.
The project has been promoted by James Uthmeier, former chief of staff for DeSantis and the current Attorney General of Florida, who has turned the initiative into a political showcase. In fact, the state Republican Party has already started selling merchandising featuring the image of the “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Behind the rapid construction of the center lies an executive order signed by DeSantis in 2023 that allows him to seize state lands without legislative approval. The use of this power has faced strong criticism from local authorities and civil organizations.
Additionally, environmental groups such as Friends of the Everglades have filed legal action to halt the project, stating that 96% of the land consists of wetlands that are home to vulnerable species like the Florida panther.
“This plan is not only cruel but also threatens the ecosystem of the Everglades, the protection of which has cost taxpayers billions”, warned Eve Samples, the director of the organization.
A warning for immigrants
The center, which will cost around 450 million dollars annually, has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security, which committed to partially reimburse the state. The operation reinforces the strategic alignment of Florida with Trump’s hardline policy, and solidifies the state as a stronghold of his immigration vision.
For the Cuban community, which has experienced firsthand arrests, deportations, and immigration obstacles, this new development represents a warning sign.
While the center is initially intended for immigrants with criminal records, human rights organizations fear that its use will expand and that the inhumane conditions described there will become a structural part of a punitive immigration system.
“The only way out is a one-way flight”, the presidential spokesperson reiterated. A message that goes beyond the microphone and strikes at the heart of those who dream of rebuilding their lives in the United States.
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