First Migrants Arrive at Alligator Alcatraz Amid Protests Over Inhumane Conditions

Alligator Alcatraz: Migrants Arrive

Denounced for Inhumane Conditions

Fear of Severe Flooding

The controversial detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” opened its doors this week to receive the first migrants transferred under the U.S. government’s mass deportation plan.

Located in the wetlands of the Everglades in Florida, the site has faced strong opposition from civil organizations that denounce “inhumane” conditions and risks due to its location in a high-value ecological ecosystem.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed last night on X the arrival of this first group of migrants at the center, whose rapid construction in just eight days has raised questions about its safety and quality.

Among the main criticisms is concern over its proximity to sensitive habitats that house species like alligators and pythons, as well as the risk of flooding during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.

First Migrants Arrive at Controversial Detention Center «Alligator Alcatraz»

“Today, a broad coalition of more than 60 organizations from across the state and the country sent a letter to Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava (of Miami-Dade County) and the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners urging them to take immediate legal action to close the detention camp,” reported the associations signing the letter this Thursday.

The organizations that signed the letter warn that the site was built on an abandoned airport west of Miami, “surrounded by sensitive habitats,” and claim there are “serious doubts about how such a site would protect due process for migrants.”

These concerns are compounded by questions about whether detainees will have effective access to lawyers, whether they will be allowed visits from family members, or whether there will be independent oversight to monitor the treatment they receive in the facility.

Images shared on social media have further fueled the controversy, showing large puddles on the floor of some tents after a storm last Tuesday, coinciding with the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis.

The incident has sparked fears about the facility’s real preparedness to withstand hurricanes in a state like Florida, where such storms are common.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this Atlantic season could be particularly active, with up to 10 hurricanes and 19 named storms, figures above the historical average.

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Minutes before the flooding, Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, assured the press that the center had specific plans in place for dealing with hurricanes, although the viral images cast doubt on such assurances.

“Alligator Alcatraz” has an announced maximum capacity of 3,000 detainees, and its inauguration has been surrounded by a controversial political spectacle.

Dark Humor and Marketing Around the Detention Center

First Migrants Arrive at Alligator Alcatraz Amid Protests Over Inhumane Conditions – Photo: White House on Instagram

During his visit, Trump repeatedly joked about the presence of alligators around the facility and the danger they would pose to detainees who might try to escape.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency joined this narrative by posting an image on X showing several alligators wearing ICE caps outside what appeared to be the prison.

Additionally, Uthmeier has promoted on social media an official website where T-shirts, caps, mugs, stickers, and even golf balls are being sold under the “Alligator Alcatraz” brand, adorned with drawings of alligators and pythons.

Amid the migration crisis and political tensions over immigration, the opening of this center has ignited a new wave of outrage among activists, human rights lawyers, and migrant communities demanding its immediate closure.

The organizations promise to continue legal and media actions to denounce what they consider a project that violates human dignity, threatens the environment, and puts lives at risk during hurricane season.

Meanwhile, state and federal authorities maintain their defense of the plan as an “emergency” measure to strengthen immigration policy and assure that the center will meet basic safety and human rights standards, despite growing evidence casting doubt on such claims.

What do you think about the opening of this detention center in an ecologically sensitive area and in the middle of hurricane season?

SOURCE: EFE