Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has unveiled a proposal to convert an abandoned training facility deep in the Everglades into a detention center for illegal immigrants. Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the proposed facility is being pitched as a cost-effective, secure location to temporarily house criminal migrants awaiting deportation.
In a video posted to social media Thursday, Uthmeier said Florida is leading the charge in supporting President Donald Trump’s America First immigration agenda and is seeking creative solutions to meet increasing demand for detention space amid a crackdown on illegal immigration.
“This 30-square-mile area is completely surrounded by the Everglades — presents an efficient, low-cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter,” Uthmeier explained. “If detainees were to escape, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons.”
The site in question — the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility — is a virtually abandoned former airport and training ground located in the heart of Florida’s Everglades. Uthmeier said the facility could be operational within one to two months and capable of housing up to 1,000 criminal illegal migrants.
“Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” Uthmeier said. “This presents a great opportunity for the state of Florida to work with Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Alligator Alcatraz. We’re ready to go.”
The proposal comes just days after Uthmeier was held in civil contempt by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams for allegedly disregarding an injunction halting enforcement of a Florida law that criminalizes the presence of illegal immigrants in the state. The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024, makes it a misdemeanor for anyone residing in the U.S. illegally to enter Florida.
Despite the court’s ruling, Uthmeier remained defiant.
“If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it,” he wrote in a statement following the ruling.
Florida has enthusiastically supported federal immigration enforcement efforts since Trump’s return to office. In late May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working alongside state law enforcement, arrested over 100 illegal aliens at a construction site in Tallahassee. The arrests were part of a broader campaign to crack down on illegal labor in the construction industry.
In April, nearly 800 illegal migrants were apprehended across Florida in a four-day sweep dubbed Operation Tidal Wave — one of the largest single-state enforcement actions in ICE history.
Uthmeier’s “Alligator Alcatraz” proposal has already drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocates, who say the concept dehumanizes detainees and exploits the Everglades’ natural hazards for punitive effect.
As Trump continues to reshape national immigration enforcement policy in his second term, Florida appears to be leading the way among the states — with “Alligator Alcatraz” now emerging as a symbol of the new, tougher border strategy. Whether the proposal will clear legal and logistical hurdles remains to be seen.
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Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.
Great idea.
While I totally agree that this is a great idea, I would urge FL officials to tread lightly and study the end of the career for Sheriff Joe Arpaio of AZ. Please remember that he chose the desert scene for the same concept and their were certain groups of people that beat the crap out of him for inhumane treatment. I’m not suggesting that you stop this plan. Just cover all the bases you know your adversaries are going to want to touch. Again, GREAT IDEA!!
Sounds like the MCRD Parris Island, SC. The Marines facility is surrounded by swamp, alligators, and poisonous snakes.
” immigration advocates, who say the concept dehumanizes detainees and exploits the Everglades’ natural hazards for punitive effect.”
I say this is Good and make me want to be one of many who move from California to Florida.
Sounds like a good plan to me
All else that would be needed would be the warden with his lantern and gun and Old Red.