Built in the wetlands of the Everglades, the state-run immigration detention center “Alligator Alcatraz” temporarily shut down after it was deemed unsafe during hurricane season.
“Alligator Alcatraz is a location in the Everglades to temporarily house illegal immigrants, according to the state and federal government,” AP Government teacher Deborah Whetstone said.
Many people have voiced concerns about unsuitable conditions for the facility’s inhabitants.
“Nobody was trying to keep the facility kept up; it was hot, there were flies, there were gnats. All of their things would get wet and drenched, there was no salvaging anything, and the meals were gross and they weren’t fed properly,” senior Marisol Huapilla said.
In the Everglades, a land dominated by natural predators, people believe conditions are improper for human needs within the detention center, sparking concern with activists and witnesses alike.
“Multiple people, including family members and family friends, [say the] stories are all the same. They’ve all been maltreated or malnourished, and there’s no controlling and actually helping them,” Huapilla continued.
Worried citizens and activists expressed concern about the idea of Alligator Alcatraz, believing its conditions are unfit to house human beings.
“From the looks of it, they were putting people in dog kennels in the middle of the Everglades. It’s inhumane; there isn’t a point to have people suffer and go through that. Also, I’m sure there weren’t good materials since it’s remote,” a student who wished to remain anonymous said.
The controversy surrounding Alligator Alcatraz centered on both the conditions for those housed there and its potential impact on the Everglades.
“There was a lot of controversy around it, for not getting the correct permits, not doing environmental studies and equal parts concerned about the people who were going to be housed there and concerned about the environmental damage to the Everglades,” Whetstone said.
The establishment of Alligator Alcatraz also raised concerns about how those housed there would be treated. While the facility has been shut down, many are still worried about the treatment of detainees and what the future holds for them.
