Sierra Club Florida unequivocally opposes the DeSantis Administration’s proposed immigrant detention facility — dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ — in the heart of Florida’s Everglades.

This proposal is not only deeply inhumane, it is profoundly irresponsible from an environmental, ethical, and fiscal standpoint. The Everglades is a unique and fragile ecosystem — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to countless endangered species, and a vital source of drinking water for more than nine million Floridians. To pave over a portion of this irreplaceable landscape for a high‑security prison is nothing short of ecological vandalism.

For decades, bipartisan efforts and billions of taxpayer dollars have been invested to restore the Everglades. Sacrificing that progress for a politically motivated detention center threatens wildlife, water quality, habitat, and Florida’s economic future.

The concept of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ weaponizes Florida’s natural heritage to dehumanize immigrants. Choosing a name that evokes cruelty and confinement in a swamp is a chilling symbol of the administration’s priorities, and a stark departure from the values of compassion, inclusion, and justice that most Floridians hold dear.

Immigration policy should not be dictated by spectacle or fearmongering. Detaining human beings — many of whom are fleeing violence, poverty, and oppression — in the Everglades is both logistically impractical and morally indefensible.

Sierra Club Florida, together with its members, supporters, and environmental justice allies across the state, stands united against this dangerous and dystopian proposal at every level. We call on Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier to abandon it immediately.

Florida’s future depends on safeguarding our environment and upholding our shared humanity. We are watching — and we are not alone.”