Hundreds of demonstrators gathered along Florida’s Tamiami Trail on Saturday to protest the construction of a new immigrant detention center in the Everglades, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by critics. The facility, proposed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, is part of President Donald Trump’s broader efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement and deport criminal aliens. While liberal media outlets and activists frame the project as an environmental and humanitarian crisis, the reality is that this facility represents a bold, necessary step to secure America’s borders and uphold the rule of law.
Protesters, including Native American leaders and environmental activists, lined U.S. Highway 41, waving signs and American flags as dump trucks carrying construction materials rolled past. One protester, captured in a viral X clip, emotionally pleaded, “We have to advocate for all of us… find it in your hearts to pray for these people who are lost so that they can become human beings again.” Such rhetoric, while emotionally charged, ignores the fact that the facility is intended to detain criminal aliens—those who have broken U.S. laws—not peaceful asylum seekers.
Ecologist Christopher McVoy, who attended the protest, cited environmental concerns, telling the Associated Press, “People I know are in tears, and I wasn’t far from it.” Yet, the Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that the facility will be constructed on an abandoned airfield, minimizing ecological disruption. Meanwhile, liberal groups like the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades have filed lawsuits to halt construction, claiming potential downstream environmental damage. Their objections, however, seem more politically motivated than fact-based, as the site was chosen specifically for its isolation and existing infrastructure.
Attorney General Uthmeier defended the project, telling Florida’s Voice, “Florida’s been leading on immigration enforcement, supporting the Trump administration and ICE efforts to detain and deport criminal aliens.” He explained that the facility, located in a remote part of the Everglades, is a cost-effective solution with natural deterrents—namely, alligators and pythons—that prevent escapes. “People get out, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” Uthmeier stated. This pragmatic approach aligns with President Trump’s commitment to strong border security and immigration control, policies that have consistently reduced illegal crossings and kept American communities safer.
I’m out in the Everglades at “Alligator Alcatraz” as a couple hundred protesters line the entrance to the planned migrant detention facility @NBCNightlyNews pic.twitter.com/fgN7kxqRMo
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) June 28, 2025
While the left frames this as a cruel and inhumane measure, the truth is that the U.S. cannot afford open borders. The Trump administration’s firm stance on immigration has already led to historic declines in illegal border crossings, and facilities like Alligator Alcatraz are a necessary part of maintaining that success. The liberal media’s outrage is predictable, but their narrative fails to acknowledge the real victims of uncontrolled immigration—American citizens who suffer from crime, strained public resources, and unfair labor competition.
“Alligator Alcatraz” is one of the best ideas that exists for detention of ILLEGAL, CRIMINAL INVADERS.
It’s just too bad that there are no piranhas to go with the pythons & ‘gators ! Or would the bleeding-hearts rather we did it like Saudi Arabia & just dug massive trenches as mass graves & kill them all ? Or perhaps like N. Korea & they just “disappear”. We’re actually doing a humane removal, but the ILLEGAL INVADERS have no business being here.
We’ve proven for many, many years that we are a welcoming melting pot for immigrants, provided they come LEGALLY !
Why is that so hard for idiot libtards to understand ?
NICE MOVE!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!
The harder and extreme a protest is against Trump, equals the amount Trump is right, period.
Turn the Gators loose!
Who is paying these anti-American protesters? Pull the money plug and they’ll simply disappear!
Why weren’t all these protesters out loudly protesting since 1/20/21 when the Biden administration opened our southern boarder wide open with open welcome arms! No one was bitching back then, and now the Trump administration has to clean up their horrible mess! We need to discover what groups are funding ALL these stupid protest?? They are NOT spontaneous protest by locals!! They are organized and well funded!!
Why weren’t piranhas & gators released in the water where illegals were crossing???