Miami-Dade mayor slams Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention plan in Everglades
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is pushing back against Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's plan to convert an old airstrip used as a pilot training facility into a migrant detention center in the Everglades, a site Uthmeier himself has dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz."
"Due to the location of this parcel in a critical area, the conveyance of this parcel requires considerable review and due diligence," Levine Cava said in a statement referencing the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
"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 to the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating."
Concerns over environmental and financial impact
According to Rachel Johnson, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Levine Cava, the county sent a letter to the state outlining multiple concerns about the project, which is slated to house around 1,000 migrants and be operational within a month.
"The mayor clearly laid out several concerns regarding the proposed use of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT) in a letter to the state detailing specific questions and requesting additional information as part of our due diligence," Johnson said.
"In particular, the county has significant concerns about the environmental impacts on the Everglades which is the source of our clean drinking water and the cornerstone of our regional economy, and we requested a detailed analysis and report on environmental impacts of this facility to the Everglades ecosystem," she continued.
"We further requested the opportunity for an updated appraisal and a deeper financial analysis to make sure we maximize the value of this public asset on behalf of Miami-Dade taxpayers – given the amount offered is $20 million whereas the most recent appraisal puts the total value of the site at at least $190 million.
"While we understand that the Attorney General has stated that federal approvals have been received for the project, we have not yet received a response from the state to the County's letter."
AG Uthmeier says alligators and pythons are built-in security
In a video posted to social media platform X, Attorney General Uthmeier pitched the site's location as a natural deterrent to escape.
"Efficient. Low cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don't need to invest that much into the perimeter," Uthmeier said. "People, get out. There's not much waiting for them, other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide."
Uthmeier said the facility would be built on the already existing runway and is not located within Everglades National Park.
Everglades environmental advocates call for immediate halt
The site's significance to environmentalists is longstanding. Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples reiterated the group's opposition to the proposal.
"This site is really important to Friends of the Everglades. It's actually the reason Friends of the Everglades was founded by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1969, to stop what would have been the world's largest airport from being built right there," Samples said.
"We call on the governor to put a stop to this proposal right now. It's a terribly bad idea…" she added.
State officials have not released a cost estimate for the project but said the facility could be operational within 30 to 60 days of construction.
