Alligator Alcatraz

Alligator Alcatraz - Worms in the Food. Toilets that don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste. Days without a shower of prescription medicine. Mosquitoes and insects everywhere. Lights on all night. Air conditioners that suddenly shut off in the tropical heat. Alligator Alcatraz, an immigration-detention center located in Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida, was a mistake in every way, from forgoing necessary environmental planning for the facility, to the conditions within the camp itself.

A Hopeful Turn - On August 21st, a Federal Judge ordered the State of Florida and the Trump Administration to stop construction, cease bringing in new detainees, and “wind down in an orderly fashion” at the state within 60 days. This victory was brought about by a preliminary injunction requested by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Miccosukee Tribe in June.

“This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperiled wilderness should be protected, not exploited,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades in an initial Press Release on August 21st. In a follow up Press Conference on August 22nd, Elise Bennett, Senior Attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity noted “This so-called administration of Law and Order has been breaking the law every step of the way.”

Celebrating Cruelty - “Alligator Alcatraz” has been the running name of the taxpayer funded, estimated 450 million a year detention camp. The facility’s very name is being used as a means of celebrating the cruelty taking place there. The site, championed by Governor Ron DeSantis, has been under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks.

Hunger Strikes were organized by detainees at Alligator Alcatraz for weeks. A federal judge  demanded officials produce agreements noting who exactly has legal authority to detain people or perform immigration officer roles at Alligator Alcatraz, as this has been vague since the beginning of the camp’s existence in early July. Detainees have been moved about with no clarifying statements from the camp, and instances of human rights abuses continue to build, as documented by Human Rights Watch.

In response to these allegations, the Department of Homeland Security flatly denied the existence of a hunger strike at Alligator Alcatraz despite evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, said DHS gleefully shares memes and engagement-bait posts mocking those they are prosecuting there, of which at least over 250 detainees were being held for immigration violations only, with no criminal convictions or pending charges in the US. This isn’t about justice, or even immigration control; The cruelty is the point it all- to appear to crack down on immigration concerns without actively addressing and strengthening our immigration system, the DHS’ tactic seems to be to publicly celebrate the cruelty imposed on the perceived “bad immigrants”, not letting low-level offenses or innocents being swept along getting in the way of their fun.

NOW is the time to ACT - With halts in active construction and mounting public pressure (Trump’s disapproval on immigration has risen to 55%), and support for a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants climbing to nearly 80 percent, NOW is the time to make your voice heard on this matter. The August 21st ruling is not a definite victory, it is a call to further action. With only some 340 detainees currently at the camp, the State seems to be intentionally transferring detainees to other sites, with a planned Baker City Detention Camp announced by Governer Ron deSantis- this operation is far from over. Governor DeSantis and the Trump administration are betting on cruelty being popular- prove them wrong. Alligator Alcatraz and similar detention camps cannot be used to make people disappear and harm our environment. Call your representatives and voice your disapproval for Alligator Alcatraz and similar detention camps- a copy script is provided below for your use as needed.


Further, you can…

1. 🌹 Call your representatives! You can find your representative at this link- even if you know they don’t share your ideals politically, they do in fact pay attention to public outcry in strong enough numbers.

“Hello, my name is [NAME], and I am a constituent of [County Name], and I am calling to voice my disapproval for the Alligator Alcatraz detention camp, and the surrounding efforts of legislators to mask what is happening there. I believe these detention camps should be shut down, and support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Thank you for your time.

2. 🌹 Know your rights! Visit IMMDEF for resources intended to support community members who face deportation and/or increased ICE activity with trustworthy information about their rights.

3.🌹Share this post — and talk to friends, family and coworkers about the injustices at Alligator Alcatraz.

4.🌹Join DSA today! — PensacolaDSA.org/join or check out our Calendar to see upcoming related events.

In solidarity,

PDSA Outreach Team

This blog post was written by volunteers from Pensacola Democratic Socials of America (PDSA), a chapter of The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in Northwest Florida. DSA is the largest socialist organization in the country and we organize through local and national campaigns to secure our rights. Democratic Socialists fight for racial, economic, and social justice.