The state of Florida, under the leadership of the Republican Desantis, launched the construction of a retention center for migrants in expulsion procedure, installed on a disused landing track in the heart of the Everglades National Park. Cynically nicknamed “The Alcatraz of the Alligators”this camp can accommodate up to 5,000 people in precarious conditions.
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The choice of place is not trivial. Surrounded by swamps infested with alligators, pythons and mosquitoes, this wild and almost inaccessible environment is considered by James Uthmeier, attorney general of Florida, as a “Natural barrier” guaranteeing site safety. “If someone escapes, he will have a lot of alligators to face”he said on X.
This center, which must open in July, will mainly be made up of tents and caravans, equipped with portable toilets and generators. The state promises a quick installation, within 30 to 60 days, to first accommodate 1,000 migrants, before reaching maximum capacity. According to The Washington Postthe annual operating cost is estimated at $ 450 million, with the possibility for Florida to request funding from the federal government.
Who is carrying out this project?
This project, which is a direct continuity of migration policy advocated by Donald Trump, is actively supported by Ron Desantis. Presented as a solution “Efficient and inexpensive” To illegal immigration, this installation illustrates a radical deterrent strategy carried by the republican authorities.
Kristi Noem, interior security secretary, has also praised this initiative as a “Profitable and innovative model”reinforcing the reception capacity of migrants in an irregular situation.
At the crossroads of a hard migration policy and an American political theater, this project crystallizes tensions between security will and respect for fundamental rights. Qualified by Alex Howard, former manager of the Biden administration, as “Petit Guantánamo”it symbolizes an increasingly uncompromising strategy with regard to migrants in an emblematic state of the Conservative turn of the Republicans.
A criticized project
Human rights NGOs react strongly. Nayna Gupta, from the US immigration council, denounces a Bluesky a “Absolute horror show” And points out the lack of surveillance, as well as accommodation conditions unsuitable for the stifling heat of Florida.
Mark Fleming, of the National Immigrant Justice Center, talks about a “Insensitive contempt” towards the health and safety of migrants. In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warns against the increased difficulties of access to justice for prisoners, isolated in this remote area.
Everything will be “temporary”
Ecologically, the association Les Amis des Everglades alerts on a “Unacceptable risk” For a unique ecosystem housing more than 2,000 animal and plant species. Despite these criticisms, Ron Desantis minimizes the impact, ensuring that everything will be ” temporary “ And that the aerodrome has already been used several times.
