In the depths of the Florida Everglades, a place teeming with mosquitoes, swamps, and predatory reptiles, the U.S. government has endorsed what many human rights activists now call the Alligator Alcatraz—a sprawling 39-square-mile detention facility for immigrants surrounded not only by steel fences,

The state of Florida has opened a migrant detention center in the Everglades. Its official name is Alligator Alcatraz, a reference to the former maximum security federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay.

Noem Deflects "Alligator Alcatraz" Criticism with Historical Context Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem turned the tables on NBC host Kristen Welker on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” by citing Biden-era detention facility conditions in response to questions about Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” facility.

The history of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' airstrip and how Palm Beach County was involved. Eliot Kleinberg and Holly Baltz. Tue, June 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM UTC. 10 min read.

We liked Ike. In 1956, Florida’s population had doubled, from 2 million in 1940 to 4 million. Of those, a quarter lived in the coastal strip from Miami to West Palm Beach.