DeSantis Fast-Tracks Massive Everglades Detention Center Amid Controversy

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is controversially leveraging emergency powers to rapidly construct a large-scale immigration detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” deep within the Everglades.

Designed to house up to 3,000 detained immigrants, the facility is slated for an early July opening, with construction commencing at an unprecedented pace since June 21st. The initiative has sparked immediate backlash from environmental groups and state legislators, who question the legality and necessity of the expedited project. Critics argue that the underlying “immigration emergency” order, originally issued in January 2023 and repeatedly extended, no longer aligns with the current situation, particularly in light of recent shifts in federal immigration policy under the returning Trump administration.

The project’s existence became public only on June 18th, bypassing standard procedural reviews and reportedly catching local officials in Collier and Miami-Dade counties off guard. These counties were allegedly informed of the state’s takeover of county-owned land only as construction was beginning. Despite the outcry, state officials, led by Florida’s Department of Emergency Management head Kevin Guthrie, defend the rapid deployment, asserting that “time is of the essence” to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Further concerns have been raised regarding the facility’s location within a sensitive ecosystem and the apparent lack of clear emergency preparedness plans for severe weather, though the state claims a disaster plan is currently under development. DeSantis’s actions draw parallels to similar uses of emergency powers by Texas Governor Greg Abbott for border control, underscoring a growing trend of governors utilizing such authority for immigration enforcement.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.