Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava seemed to oppose the plan by the Ron DeSantis administration to open a migrant detention center in the Everglades, an area owned by the county.
Levine Cava did not oppose the concept as such, but said that building what Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has dubbed as "Alligator Alcatraz" would require "considerable review and due diligence."
In a letter to Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie reported by the Miami Herald, Levine Cava said it is "also imperative that we fully understand the scope and scale of the proposed use of the site and what will be developed, as the impacts to the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating."
Uthmeier proposed the facility earlier this month. It would hold up to 1,000 people, is planned for the 39-square-mile Miami Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
Alligator Alcatraz: the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. pic.twitter.com/96um2IXE7U
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) June 19, 2025
In a video posted on X, Uthmeier said the facility represents "an efficient, low cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter. If people get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons." He stated the site could be operational within 30 to 60 days of construction.
According to Fox Business, the location was selected in part due to its airstrip, which could be used to transport detainees. Although surrounded by Everglades terrain, the site is not part of the Everglades National Park. "This presents a great opportunity for the state of Florida to work with Miami Dade and Collier counties," Uthmeier added.
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