Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s contested new immigration detention center, is set to be empty within days. The facility, built in the middle of the Florida Everglade, has been the subject of at least three lawsuits since construction began.
In response to a lawsuit challenging the facility’s lack of environmental review — filed by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Miccosukee Tribe — a federal judge ruled on Aug. 7 to stop further construction of the facility, later stating the center should prepare to shut down the operation completely.
The construction of the detention center violated the protection of the Big Cypress National Preserve and indigenous land in the area. The closing of the facility is a major victory for the future of the Everglades and surrounding tribes that inhabit the park.
Along with environmental concerns of the facility, activists allege detainees experience extremely poor conditions, including a lack of air conditioning, inadequate meals and limited sanitation practices.
However, the construction of facilities with cruel conditions has no end in sight. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida government plan to open a new immigration facility in North Florida, dubbed “Deportation Depot,” to continue their mission of maximizing enforcement of the current presidential administration’s immigration policy.
It is incredibly disheartening that our state has become the guinea pig for all of the current administration’s attempts to remain on the good side of their increasingly unpredictable voter base, especially when it comes to enforcing strict immigration policy.
In Florida, immigration detention centers are especially vulnerable to extreme weather events, due to the high exposure of hurricanes, fires and more. These facilities lack comprehensive disaster or evacuation plans for detainees, further increasing the risk of hazards for employees and migrants.
By building facilities without regard for their inhabitants and nearby natural resources, Florida undermines its future for short-term gain. The dismissal of the environmental concerns serves as a reminder that those set on mass deportations will go to any length to ensure they can avoid accommodating people who are different from them, even if it means their state’s beauty and resources are demolished.
Cruelty towards immigrants has not and will never improve the lives of working class Americans, even though those in power might tell you it will. As reported by the Economic Policy Institute, immigration’s effects on U.S. wages range from neutral to slightly positive, and the misconception immigration hurts U.S.-born workers is a purposeful distraction from initiatives that tangibly hurt the working-class.
In this time full of fear and uncertainty, it is important to stay informed on how to keep your friends, family and neighbors safe, especially with the increase of similar facilities across Florida and the U.S. Reaching out to your elected officials, staying up to date on policy changes, sharing information about rights relating to immigration status and sending community resources to those in need are all incredibly important options to keep those around you safe.
Gracie Adams is a 19-year-old UF environmental science sophomore.
