Don't Cage the Everglades

Alligator Alcatraz: A Prison in the Swamp, A War on the Wild

Where golden light dances across cypress knees and sawgrass hums with the memory of ancient waters under the vast, open sky of South Florida, a new and terrible shadow spreads. It does not roar like a hurricane or creep like rising seas, it arrives cloaked in steel fences and poured concrete. This is Alligator Alcatraz, a proposed migrant detention center that would carve itself into the heart of the Everglades. It threatens more than wildlife and water; it threatens the soul of the land. Planned atop sacred tribal ground and within one of the most ecologically vital wetlands on Earth, this facility stands as a monument to cruelty defying science, history, and the very humanity it claims to uphold.

“Alligator Alcatraz” is the nickname for a proposed immigration detention facility planned for construction in the heart of the Everglades Agricultural Area, near the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration has pushed for this project as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, with claims that the facility would enhance national security and manage the influx of undocumented migrants (“Planned Detention”; “Florida Moves”). However, this is no ordinary site. This land borders critical Everglades habitat and is adjacent to culturally and spiritually significant territory for the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes (“Tribal Nations”). More than just a prison, it represents an encroachment on sovereign land, a desecration of sacred space, and a dangerous precedent for environmental exploitation in the name of political posturing.

The Everglades is not simply a coalescence of wetlands, it is a living, breathing mosaic of life. Spanning more than 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park harbors hundreds of rare and endangered species, including the Florida panther, West Indian manatee, and snail kite. It is a World Heritage Site, a Wetland of International Importance, and a Biosphere Reserve (“Purpose and Significance”). Beyond the accolades, the Everglades is sacred ground for the people who have lived there for centuries and a critical artery in Florida’s ecological and hydrological health. This vast “river of grass” filters water for millions, mitigates storm surges, and stores carbon in its peat-rich soils. Even slight alterations like digging, draining, or compacting the soil can disrupt entire food webs and hydrological flows. Building a detention center here would not only pave over endangered habitats but also risk chemical contamination, further drainage, and irreversible ecological loss (“No to Alligator Alcatraz”; “‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant”).

As the Everglades Foundation warns, “There is no such thing as low-impact development in the Everglades.” The wetlands are like a water-soaked sponge: remove one part, and the rest begins to collapse (“No to Alligator Alcatraz”). Constructing Alligator Alcatraz would accelerate climate injustice. As seas rise and saltwater intrudes into freshwater marshes, the Everglades is already on the frontline of climate change. The facility’s construction would likely involve draining and elevating land, further reducing the wetland’s ability to store water and sequester carbon (“Alligator Alcatraz Immigration”). The irony of criminalizing climate migrants while destroying one of our best defenses against climate catastrophe is as bitter as it is heartbreaking.

Regardless of the fact that the Alligator Alcatraz project proposes to repurpose an existing hurricane evacuation center, its presence is still profoundly harmful to the Everglades. The building’s location within a fragile wetland ecosystem means that any increase in infrastructure such as expanded roadways, security fencing, water and sewage systems, and daily human activity, will disrupt the natural flow of water, fragment wildlife habitats, and invite further development into protected areas (“‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant”; “Environmental Groups”). The Everglades operate as a delicate, interconnected system where even seemingly small changes can have cascading ecological impacts (“No to Alligator Alcatraz”). Reutilizing a structure does not erase the environmental cost of turning sacred land into a prison, nor does it justify the expansion of carceral infrastructure in a place meant for preservation and restoration (“Planned Detention”; “Alligator Alcatraz Immigration”). This project, no matter how it is framed, would set a dangerous precedent: normalizing development in one of the most ecologically critical and culturally sacred landscapes in North America.

Moreover, the project is being pursued in violation of tribal sovereignty. The Seminole and Miccosukee tribes were not consulted, despite the proximity of the site to lands considered sacred. "This is a modern land grab,” said one tribal elder, calling the project a “disgraceful betrayal of history and heritage” (“Tribal Nations”). Such actions recall a long, brutal legacy of displacing Indigenous peoples and desecrating their lands for the sake of national “security” or profit. To do so in the name of detaining migrants, many of whom are fleeing violence and climate devastation in their own homelands, is to double down on that history of injustice.

To stand against Alligator Alcatraz is to stand for something far greater than one plot of land, it is to defend the right of people and planet to coexist in dignity. Environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and humane immigration policy are not separate struggles; they are branches of the same tree. What message does it send to turn the Everglades, a global symbol of biodiversity, into a cage? What precedent does it set to bulldoze sacred land for barbed wire and steel? What does it say of us, if we allow it? Environmental groups, tribal leaders, scientists, and community activists are sounding the alarm, and they are not alone. This movement is growing, rooted in ancient cypress and carried by the cries of limpkins, the hiss of alligators, and the songs of those who refuse to be silenced.

Individuals may take a number of significant steps based on lobbying, solidarity, and civic involvement to aid in the termination of the Alligator Alcatraz project. One of the most immediate steps is to raise your voice by calling, writing, or emailing state and federal representatives to express opposition to the facility and demand protection for both the Everglades and tribal sovereignty. Public pressure has the power to influence political decisions and halt environmentally and ethically harmful developments (“No to Alligator Alcatraz”). Supporting Indigenous leadership is equally critical, amplifying the voices of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, respecting their authority in this matter, and contributing to tribal-led environmental justice initiatives can ensure that those most impacted lead the resistance (“Tribal Nations”). On a local level, joining groups like the Everglades Foundation and Friends of the Everglades helps build grassroots power through petitions, protests, and education campaigns aimed at stopping the facility (“No to Alligator Alcatraz”). Spreading awareness through social media, op-eds, and everyday conversations is also vital; framing the project not just as an environmental issue but as a violation of human rights broadens its urgency and moral weight (“‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant”). Finally, voting for candidates and policies that prioritize environmental conservation, humane immigration reform, and tribal sovereignty ensures that long-term systemic change can take root (“Planned Detention”).

The Everglades is not silent. It speaks through the cry of the heron, the rustle of sawgrass, and the sacred smoke of ceremony and protest. This land holds the memory of the panther’s path, the resilience of tribal homes, and the dreams of migrant children seeking refuge. It resists destruction with flood and fire, reminding us that it is alive, sacred, and worth protecting. In the face of Alligator Alcatraz, the Everglades is asking us gently, yet fiercely whether we will stand guard or turn away. We must choose to stand. We must not let this living, breathing sanctuary become a graveyard for hope.

Works Cited 

“Alligator Alcatraz Immigration Detention Site in the Everglades: What to Know.” NBC 6 South Florida, 25 June 2025, https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-site-in-the-everglades-what-to-know/3645008/?amp=1.

“‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Facility Draws Fire from Environmental Groups in the Everglades.” CBS News Miami, 25 June 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/miami/news/alligator-alcatraz-migrant-facility-draws-fire-from-environmental-groups-in-the-everglades/.

Environmental Groups Worry ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Will Damage Fragile Florida Everglades.” First Coast News, 24 June 2025, https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/environmental-groups-worry-alligator-alcatraz-will-damage-fragile-florida-everglades/77-e124d4ea-5526-4ff7-9c34-0601ec961361.

“Florida Moves Forward with ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Detention Site.” Axios Miami, 24 June 2025, https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/06/24/florida-alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detention-desantis.

“No to Alligator Alcatraz.” Everglades.org, https://www.everglades.org/no-alligator-alcatraz/.

“Planned Detention Center in Florida’s Everglades Sparks Outcry.” NPR, 24 June 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/06/24/nx-s1-5443268/alligator-alcatraz-florida-everglades-migrant-detention-center.

“Purpose and Significance of Everglades National Park.” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/ccintrospurposeenp.htm.

“Tribal Nations Denounce Building ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ on Sacred Land.” Tallahassee Democrat, 26 June 2025, https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2025/06/26/tribal-nations-denounce-building-alligator-alcatraz-on-sacred-land-florida/84331407007/.

Cover Image:

“Florida Gators, but Them Way Older (and Cuter)” [Photograph]. Palaeontologia Electronica, 5 Apr. 2023, https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/blog/3798-florida-gators-but-them-way-older-and-cuter.