Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration recently released an inflammatory plan to create an immigrant detention site. They’ve dubbed it “Alligator Alcatraz,” and it’ll be located in the middle of the Florida Everglades. Since then, this facility has endured excruciating and deserving public examination and condemnation. Its intention is clearly to detain immigrants in really awful, terrible conditions, almost like a concentration camp. James Uthmeier, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis – who appointed Uthmeier – first introduced the plan to the public. He accomplished this very successfully earlier this week in a video he posted on X.
Since then, it has become a center of most outrage Former President Donald Trump’s tour of the facility on July 1. Only one day after Trump’s trip, the camp received its first new group of detainees. Since its opening, accounts have surfaced describing horrific treatment that blatantly violates human rights standards.
Detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have told me they are only provided one meal a day. They sometimes return to discover their food crawling with maggots. This little food has led to a serious health crisis in the camp. In the case of one detainee, for 36 days he was denied access to a shower. On top of increased disease risk, this has led to major concerns about hygiene and safety.
A crumbling permanent prison camp with chain-link cages and rows of bunk beds. This arrangement forces people to an increasingly cramped space that barely provides a roof over one’s head. These conditions have previously resulted in COVID-19 related hospitalizations of eleven detainees. In fact, one person told us that they had to be hospitalized because of the inhumane treatment only a week and a half after the camp opened. Among the dead are a 29-year-old and a 44-year-old from Ukraine, as well as a 75-year-old Cuban national. The poor sanitation and lack of medical care at Alligator Alcatraz has caused many to sound the alarm on these issues.
With each passing day, worries grow over the strain of overcrowding and inadequate air conditioning. State reports indicate that the facility was ill prepared to meet the brutal Florida summer long hurricane season. The structure may not endure the rains and winds typical during this time of year, adding another layer of risk for those held inside.
While Trump’s go to the camp has cast a spotlight, it’s on his broader, darker agenda for immigration detention. According to recent reports, he’s now considering a moat filled with alligators along the border with Mexico. On top of that, he’s considering bringing back Alcatraz, the notorious old federal whatchacallit San Francisco Bay. In fact, taken individually or together, these proposals are all indicative of a larger trend toward more punitive, harmful targeting of immigrants.
Public outcry is increasing due to the harsh reality detainees face at Alligator Alcatraz. Advocacy groups are calling for immediate interventions to address hazardous conditions or the complete closure of the facility. This unprecedented reality has fueled national discourse on immigration policy and human rights. It poses serious questions about the way state and federal governments should treat immigrant populations.