Story perspectives

Florida’s $58M Everglades Detention Camp Emptied Amid Lawsuits

6/18/2026

Left

Everglades Camp Cleared

The Everglades camp, built without environmental review, sparked lawsuits from Miccosukee, Seminole and conservation groups over its harsh, secretive operation.
All remaining detainees were cleared from the Florida Everglades “Alligator Alcatraz” camp as hurricane season approached, leaving the facility empty.
The center cost Florida over $1 million daily, with the federal government approving a $58.2 million reimbursement.
Amnesty reported detainees shackled and denied care, prompting lawyers and representatives to demand closure, transparency.

Right

DeSantis Clears Camp

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis opened the Everglades detention center, praised by President Donald Trump, and deported 20,000 migrants since July 2025.
All detainees were moved from the Alligator Alcatraz camp in the Florida Everglades, leaving it empty as hurricane season began.
DHS said the transfers protect detainees during the six-month hurricane season without providing a timeline.
Advocates claim hurricane excuse hides pattern separating detainees from families and counsel for a week.

Blindspot

Left coverage emphasized Amnesty International’s report that detainees were shackled in two-foot metal cages, denied water and medication, and forced to sign incomprehensible documents, a detail not mentioned in Right coverage.
Left coverage highlighted lawsuits by the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes and conservation groups over the camp’s construction without environmental review, which Right coverage omitted.

History

Historical Context

CoreCivic, the successor to CCA, began expanding private immigration detention in the 1990s, with the Eloy, Arizona center later recording 15 deaths between 2003 and 2015 and a 2016 measles outbreak affecting 22 workers. A 2016 review by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson questioned the use of such facilities, yet the Trump administration in 2017 reaffirmed their continuation, fueling ongoing lawsuits and calls for reform.

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Everglades Camp Cleared

The Everglades camp, built without environmental review, sparked lawsuits from Miccosukee, Seminole and conservation groups over its harsh, secretive operation.
All remaining detainees were cleared from the Florida Everglades “Alligator Alcatraz” camp as hurricane season approached, leaving the facility empty.
The center cost Florida over $1 million daily, with the federal government approving a $58.2 million reimbursement.
Amnesty reported detainees shackled and denied care, prompting lawyers and representatives to demand closure, transparency.

1 / 4