Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially opened the gates (or rather, the swampy moat) to the state’s latest innovation in immigration enforcement: “Alligator Alcatraz.” Billed as the only detention center where the perimeter security is measured in teeth, not barbed wire, the facility sits deep in the Everglades, surrounded by a cast of wildlife straight out of an episode of the 1980s PBS series Wild America —minus the soothing narration and a lot more paperwork.
Florida this week started construction on a migrant detention facility the state is billing as “efficient” and “low-cost” – because Mother Nature will provide much of the security.“Alligator Alcatraz,” as Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier calls it, is being erected on a little-used airstrip in the Everglades, the vast expanse of marshes and swamps that covers much of southern Florida and hosts a dizzying array of wildlife, from hundreds of bird species to bobcats, panthers, crocodiles and alligators.“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,” Uthmeier said in an announcement video that casts the facility as “the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda” and features slow-motion footage of snapping alligators.
The usual suspects are complaining about the environmental impacts. DeSantis has been quick to dismiss their complaints.
The makeshift site, located off U.S. 41 on a little-used airstrip, is being developed to house undocumented migrants in custody. Chopper 4 aerials taken Wednesday show rapid progress: numerous tents, portable toilets, recreational vehicles, and generators are already in place.Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier unveiled the plan last week. Since then, public criticism has mounted, particularly from conservation groups concerned about environmental damage….”There is zero environmental impact. I’m the governor who’s poured more money into Everglades restoration than anyone,” DeSantis said. “It isn’t permanent. This is temporary. There’s no sewer being constructed. Environmental impact is zero.”
DeSantis is using his emergency powers to support the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. He is also planning to begin work on another deportation center soon.
DeSantis is relying on state emergency powers to commandeer the county-owned airstrip and build the compound, over the concerns of county officials, environmentalists and human rights advocates.Now the state is considering standing up another site at a National Guard training facility in northeast Florida as well.“We’ll probably also do something similar up at Camp Blanding,” DeSantis said, adding that the Florida Division of Emergency Management is “working on that.”
Perhaps Camp Blanding’s amenities will include black bears, the Florida panther, and water moccasins.
Those interested in helping illegal immigrants would do well to encourage them to self-deport. Furthermore, this “Wild America” episode covering the swamps of this nation should be shared widely, as this is the new hospitality package being offered to those who violate our immigration laws.
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