"Alligator Alcatraz" is a shoddy facility designed to detain thousands of immigrants in deplorable conditions—add your name to demand an investigation.
Dear MoveOn member,
Sweltering heat, humidity, frequent flooding, and the constant threat of alligators and mosquitos—these are the horrifying conditions of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's new detention center, "Alligator Alcatraz."
In a matter of days, DeSantis quietly directed private companies to build an immigrant detention center in the middle of Florida's Everglades National Park, where temperatures reach 100°F daily and destructive hurricanes loom.1
People are already being held in these deeply degrading, inhumane, and potentially dangerous conditions. The location also makes it virtually impossible to receive visits from family or legal representation.
Add your name calling on DeSantis to STOP the Everglades Detention Camp now and refuse to accept anyone else into the facility without transparency into its conditions.
The site, which was put together in just eight days, is intended to hold thousands of people and will cost $450 million to operate annually.2 The construction companies profiting from this seven-figure contract are tied to prominent GOP donors, raising serious concerns about corruption and unethical profiteering.3
Experts are sounding the alarm on these frightening conditions, from snakes and virus-carrying mosquitoes to flooding and extreme heat. Join them by signing the petition now to demand transparency around the Everglades Detention Camp.
The Everglades is in a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone—meaning buildings should be constructed to withstand winds of 180 miles per hour. But the Everglades Detention Camp is made up of flimsy tents, bunk beds, and chain fences, raising even more concerns about the safety of people being held there. The facility has already flooded once under typical levels of rain.4
Beyond endangering human lives, the Everglades Detention Camp also threatens one of the country's most fragile ecosystems. Journalists have already struggled to report on the facility because of the swarms of mosquitoes, some of which can carry dangerous diseases. And if industrial mosquito repellents are used, the environmental harm toward the Everglades and its nationally protected land could be staggering.5
Add your name if you agree that the Everglades Detention Camp must close, and demand a full investigation, including:
A public comment period for nearby communities
A public report on human rights conditions inside the facility
A full environmental impact study
Democratic representatives who requested to tour the facility were refused entry—because DeSantis, Trump, and their cronies know just how abusive and cruel the conditions really are.6
Meanwhile, conservatives are shamelessly cashing in on human suffering, selling "Alligator Alcatraz" T-shirts, hats, and other products. It's a vile and out-of-touch move to sell merchandise for a place that's about to become a living hell for thousands of people, facing unimaginable conditions and horrific human rights abuses.7
The Everglades Detention Camp is nothing short of a tragedy, and we must show our loud and clear opposition before it becomes permanent. Will you sign the petition?
Thanks for all you do.
–Mia, Britt, Allison, Olga, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Alligator Alcatraz came together quickly thanks to GOP donors and state's disaster response," CBS News, July 4, 2025
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/republican-donors-and-floridas-hurricane-know-how-helped-build-alligator-alcatraz-so-quickly/
2. "'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center Poses Serious Risks to Immigrants Beyond Just Alligators," Rolling Stone, July 5, 2025
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/alligator-alcatraz-immigrants-detention-risks-florida-1235379416/
3. "Alligator Alcatraz came together quickly thanks to GOP donors and state's disaster response," CBS News, July 4, 2025
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/republican-donors-and-floridas-hurricane-know-how-helped-build-alligator-alcatraz-so-quickly/
4. "'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center Poses Serious Risks to Immigrants Beyond Just Alligators," Rolling Stone, July 5, 2025
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/alligator-alcatraz-immigrants-detention-risks-florida-1235379416/
5. "Harsh conditions at 'Alligator Alcatraz': heat, rain, mosquitoes everywhere," NBC Miami, July 4, 2025
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/harsh-conditions-at-alligator-alcatraz-heat-rain-mosquitoes-everywhere/3651896/
6. "Heat, storms, mosquitoes the big threats at Alligator Alcatraz, experts say," The Washington Post, July 5, 2025
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/05/alligator-alcatraz-immigrants-detention-florida/
7. "Alligator Alcatraz came together quickly thanks to GOP donors and state's disaster response," CBS News, July 4, 2025
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/republican-donors-and-floridas-hurricane-know-how-helped-build-alligator-alcatraz-so-quickly/
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