A new detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” has opened deep in the Florida Everglades, drawing fierce condemnation from human rights advocates, environmentalists, and Democratic lawmakers.

The facility, announced by U.S. officials under President Donald Trump’s administration, represents a shameful new low in the targeting of vulnerable migrant communities, prioritizing fearmongering and deterrence over humanity and justice.

Located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, the sprawling complex was constructed in just eight days using state funds and emergency powers authorized by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. With an initial capacity of 3,000 detainees and plans to expand to 5,000 beds by early July, the center boasts over 200 security cameras, 28,000 feet of barbed wire, and 400 security personnel. Immigrants arrested under the federal 287(g) program, which empowers local law enforcement to detain individuals for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will be funneled into this remote prison-like facility for potential deportation.

The choice of location—a swampy, flood-prone area in the fragile Everglades ecosystem—has sparked outrage. Environmental groups have filed lawsuits to halt operations, arguing that the center threatens the delicate region, while Native American tribes have decried its placement on sacred land. Human rights advocates have slammed the facility’s conditions, pointing to extreme heat, mosquito infestations, and recent flooding during heavy rains as evidence of its cruelty. Despite claims from state officials that the complex can withstand a Category 2 hurricane, images of flooded tents during Trump’s visit to mark the opening tell a different story.

Democratic state lawmakers, conducting an official site visit on Thursday, issued a scathing statement: “As lawmakers, we have both the legal right and moral responsibility to inspect this site, demand answers, and expose this abuse before it becomes the national blueprint.” Their concerns are compounded by the opaque awarding of millions in state contracts for the facility’s rapid construction, raising questions about transparency and accountability.

The Trump administration’s attempt to distance itself from the project rings hollow. A Department of Homeland Security filing claims no federal funds have been used, asserting that Florida is solely responsible for the center’s operation. Yet Trump’s enthusiastic tour of the facility and the gleeful promotion by his allies, including memes of alligators “guarding” the compound and Republican Party merchandise capitalizing on the “Alligator Alcatraz” branding, reveal the administration’s complicity in this dehumanizing spectacle.

The facility’s name and location are no accident. By invoking the notorious Alcatraz prison and placing the center in the inhospitable Everglades, Trump and DeSantis are weaponizing fear to intimidate undocumented immigrants into self-deportation. This tactic, coupled with the Republican Party of Florida’s shameless fundraising off the detention center’s imagery, underscores a broader strategy of cruelty and division.

As protests mount and legal challenges grow, “Alligator Alcatraz” stands as a stark symbol of the Trump administration’s relentless assault on immigrant communities. It is a grim reminder of the urgent need to reject policies rooted in xenophobia and to demand a more compassionate, just approach to immigration. (ILKHA)