GOOD NEWS! Finally, after nearly a year of horrors, the Florida governor announced on June 25, 2026 that Alligator Alcatraz has finally been shut down. Research by Amnesty International concluded that people arbitrarily detained in the facility were being held in inhumane and unsanitary conditions including overflowing toilets with fecal matter seeping into where people are sleeping, limited access to showers, exposure to insects without protective measures, lights on 24 hours a day, poor quality food and water, and lack of privacy – including cameras above the toilets.
The Everglades Detention Facility, also known as “Alligator Alcatraz”, opened in the state of Florida in July 2025 to detain migrants and asylum seekers. It has operated as a deliberate system of dehumanization and abuse: there are cruel and degrading conditions there, including overflowing sewage, shackling, denial of medical care, sleep deprivation, and punishment practices that amount to torture. The Florida governor has recently announced his intention to close it down, but the federal government insists it will remain open.
Demand Florida governor Ron DeSantis close “Alligator Alcatraz” immediately.
NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO SENT APPEALS.
Dear Governor DeSantis,
I am writing to demand that you move immediately to shut down the Everglades Detention Center in Florida, also known as “Alligator Alcatraz”, which is currently housing migrants and asylum seekers.
I am concerned about conditions at “Alligator Alcatraz”. Amnesty International’s reports that people are arbitrarily detained in inhuman, unsanitary conditions, including overflowing toilets near where people are sleeping, limited access to showers, exposure to insects, lights on 24 hours a day, poor quality food and water, and lack of privacy – including cameras above the toilets. Access to medical care is inconsistent or denied. Detainees are shackled outside their cages, and some have been subjected to treatment amounting to torture, including confinement in a small “box” with restraints.
This facility’s cruelty is intended to criminalize and intimidate immigrant communities. It is also located in the Everglades, a fragile and ecologically sensitive area. This raises concerns about the impact of pollution, water quality, and efforts to restore the Everglades and protected endangered species.
“Alligator Alcatraz” is a human rights disaster. You must close this facility immediately, release those detained so they can pursue their cases with legal support, and end Florida’s criminalization of immigrants and its role in President Trump’s mass deportation machine.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
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