John,

Despite declining news coverage, Alligator Alcatraz remains open and operating as usual in the Florida Everglades.

This privately run ICE detention facility in South Florida has become infamous for its horrific treatment of immigrants. Multiple reports―including firsthand accounts from detainees―describe inhumane conditions such as no water for baths, maggots in food, and lack of access to necessary medical care.¹

Congress must act and shut this site down immediately. Send a message to your members of Congress and demand they shut down Alligator Alcatraz now.

According to NPR, 2025 has been the deadliest year in almost 20 years for people in ICE custody, with 20 people dying so far.² No deaths have been reported in Alligator Alcatraz, but six have occurred at other Florida state-run facilities.³

A new report from NBC6 Investigates found that, despite assertions from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that everyone detained at Alligator Alcatraz had “final orders of deportation,” roughly 70% did not.⁴ On top of that, of the more than 6,700 held in the detention camp at one point or another, only 4% had been convicted of serious crimes while just 22% had any form of criminal convictions, including minor traffic offenses.

We join immigrant advocates and attorneys who are calling Alligator Alcatraz, and the other state-run detention facilities for which it is a blueprint, extra-judicial black sites, because people are held outside federal oversight, without tracking of their whereabouts as would occur in ICE facilities. There has been a systemic erosion of due process, with attorneys and family members unable to contact detainees.³ And now other states such as Indiana and Nebraska are building their own black site detention camps, learning from Florida’s example.⁵

Send a message to Congress now telling them to shut down Alligator Alcatraz and all other extra-judicial black sites immediately.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ Florida officials deny accusations of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz
² It's the deadliest year for people in ICE custody in decades; next year could be worse
³ USA: New Findings Reveal Human Rights Violations at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” and Krome Detention Centers
⁴ Secrets of ‘Alligator Alcatraz' revealed in newly released data analyzed by NBC6 Investigates
⁵ Jokey Names for Detention Centers Face Criticism for Insensitivity