What was once set to be the Everglades Jetport, the largest airport in the world — circa 1968 — is now Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s new migrant detention facility, lying 55 miles west of Miami and adjacent to Big Cypress National Preserve.
The Miami Dade–Collier Training and Transition Airport has been seized by the state and via a post on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced its new use as Alligator Alcatraz. This name is in reference to the infamous maximum security federal prison in San Francisco Bay. The facility is the most recent effort to support the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda.
Alligator Alcatraz is estimated to cost $450 million per year and is set to be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services program. The program was created by Congress to support cities and groups receiving migrants and asylum seekers released from federal custody along the U.S.–Mexico border.
In the video on X, Uthmeier commends Alligator Alzatraz’s location for its natural hazards and remoteness.
“You don’t need to invest much in the perimeter. There’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” said Uthmeier.
The facility, deep in the wilderness of southwest Florida, has caused protests and calls for the protection of the land, emphasizing the inhumane conditions detainees could face, the importance to indigenous groups, the value to conservation efforts and concerns of expansion.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava wrote to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which had originally offered to purchase the land from Miami-Dade County, but was met with an “unreasonable” counteroffer from the Mayor’s office. Levine Cava sought a slowdown in operations and requested more detailed plans for the center, particularly regarding its environmental impact.
“[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 of the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating,” Levine Cava said.
Despite pushback, there is little evidence of a slowdown. President Trump, Governor Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the facility on Tuesday, July 1. During the visit, Trump introduced the concept he called “Farmer Responsibility” or “Owner Responsibility.” With this idea, detained immigrants with experience in agriculture would be assigned to farmers, allowed to stay in the U.S. and pay taxes, but without a path to citizenship.
“Without those people, you’re not going to be able to run the farms,” said Trump.
On Thursday, July 3, a group of local Democratic lawmakers attempted to visit Alligator Alcatraz after hearing that the first group of immigrants had arrived. Despite giving advance notice and citing a legal right to enter, they were denied access due to safety concerns. The lawmakers criticized their barred entry as hypocritical, considering Trump’s visit two days prior. They questioned how the facility could be safe for residents if it was deemed unsafe for visitors. The lawmakers plan to take legal action.
Uthmeier announced federal approval for constructing multiple holding facilities in Florida with the collective capacity to house up to 5,000 detainees, with more than 1,000 detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz.
Road signs reading “Alligator Alcatraz” have been put up surrounding the facility.