Florida’s bold immigration crackdown took a significant step forward this week as the first deportation flights departed from the newly established detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” located deep in the Everglades. Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Friday, July 25, 2025, that at least three flights have already taken off from the controversial facility, deporting nearly 100 immigrants as part of a larger push to ramp up removals across the state.
“This was never intended to be something where people are held and we kind of twiddle our thumbs,” DeSantis told reporters gathered at the site. “The whole purpose is to make this a place that can increase the frequency and number of deportations of illegal aliens.” He indicated that the operation will soon expand, with plans underway to authorize more judges and law enforcement officers to handle immigration cases and detainees.
Located on a repurposed county-owned airfield in Miami-Dade, the facility was rapidly constructed in just eight days, transforming the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport into a sprawling tent city. It features an 11,000-foot runway capable of handling commercial aircraft, complete with ground-to-air communications, radar, runway lighting, and a stockpile of 5,000 gallons of jet fuel. The airport is designed for both day and nighttime operations, according to DeSantis.
State officials say the center currently has capacity for a couple thousand detainees, with expectations to double that number to about 4,000 in the near future. Should demand increase further, DeSantis revealed plans to open a second facility in North Florida. The facility is guarded by roughly 200 Florida National Guardsmen and 400 security personnel, surrounded by 28,000 feet of fencing and nearly 300 security cameras. Director Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management described the site as having a natural buffer of approximately 39 square miles of Everglades wilderness.
Despite the state’s assurances, the facility has been the subject of intense criticism and legal challenges. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on July 16, 2025, against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, alleging violations of detainees’ due process rights. The ACLU contends that many held at “Alligator Alcatraz” have not been granted sufficient access to legal counsel and that communication restrictions violate constitutional protections.
“The US Constitution does not allow the government to simply lock people away without any ability to communicate with counsel or to petition the court for release from custody,” Eunice Cho, senior counsel with the ACLU’s National Prison Project and lead attorney in the case, told the New York Times. The group also disputes claims made by officials that every detainee is under a final order of removal, highlighting ongoing cases where this is not true.
State officials counter that detainees have access to due process rights. Larry Keefe, executive director of the Florida Board of Immigration Enforcement, said on July 25 that those held at the facility are able to exercise their legal rights. Kevin Guthrie added that after some initial “technology issues,” on-site lawyer visits are expected to begin by Monday, July 28, 2025.
Conditions inside the facility have drawn sharp condemnation from detainees, their families, and advocates. Reports describe cramped cells made of chain-link fencing holding over 30 people, limited bathroom access, infrequent showers, backed-up toilets, and occasional failures of air conditioning. Tents have reportedly let in rain and insects, and food has been described as inadequate. One detainee referred to the camp as “a type of torture,” while another likened it to “a dog cage.”
State officials maintain that the center meets or exceeds detention standards. Guthrie emphasized the presence of a full-fledged medical center on-site staffed by a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, and registered nurses. He also highlighted amenities including air conditioning, three hot meals daily, laundry services, recreational spaces both indoors and outdoors, legal and clergy services, and hurricane preparedness measures designed to withstand winds up to 110 miles per hour (Category 2 strength). The facility has an evacuation plan should a stronger storm threaten.
The $450 million facility’s operating costs have drawn scrutiny, with some critics pointing out that the expense per detainee exceeds that of state prisons or federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. The Associated Press reported that Florida taxpayers will foot the bill for at least $245 million in contracts signed by the DeSantis administration, covering everything from wardens and corrections officers to IT workers and camp managers. The governor’s office initially published the contracts online but later removed full documents, leaving only summaries, citing proprietary information concerns.
Adding to the controversy, environmental groups including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed lawsuits alleging the state and federal governments failed to conduct adequate environmental reviews before constructing the facility. They argue that the detention center violates the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and national park protections. U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams has scheduled a hearing on these claims for July 30, 2025.
DeSantis and his administration have dismissed environmental concerns, with Guthrie noting that the site was previously an active training airport that once hosted over a hundred flights daily. The facility’s location within the Everglades, however, has raised alarm among conservationists and some lawmakers. Democratic state Representative Anna Eskamani, who toured the camp, condemned the project on multiple fronts, demanding greater accountability regarding environmental impact, humanitarian conditions, contract transparency, and due process.
Immigration enforcement in Florida is intensifying beyond the detention center. Larry Keefe announced that the state has more than doubled its capacity to arrest undocumented individuals, with over 1,200 Florida deputies and more than 650 agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement credentialed by the federal government for limited immigration enforcement. Florida leads the nation in partnerships with ICE under the federal 287(g) program, involving state and local agencies in immigration operations.
In a related initiative, Florida has launched a pilot program encouraging undocumented immigrants to self-deport, separate from the federal scheme offering $1,000 and a plane ticket home. DeSantis reported that “a couple dozen” individuals have voluntarily left the U.S. under this program.
As the facility embarks on what DeSantis calls “our moment,” the controversy surrounding “Alligator Alcatraz” shows no signs of abating. With legal battles over detainee rights and environmental protections looming, and with a surge of immigration arrests expected, Florida’s experiment in state-run immigration detention and deportation is poised to remain at the center of a heated national debate.
