By: Arianna Roque
In August 2025, a federal district court judge momentarily halted operations at Florida’s controversial immigration facility following reports of environmental violations and concerns about damage to surrounding wetlands.[1] Nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the injunction was later stayed by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.[2] While the environmental debate initially captured the courts and public’s attention, the facility raises deeper concerns about the limits of state authority under federal immigration law, due process, and the racialized nature of immigration enforcement.
Florida’s move to assert control over immigration, which has largely been left under federal control, demonstrates a growing tension between state and federal agencies. Beyond its environmental impact, Alligator Alcatraz exposes how states like Florida may be testing the boundaries of immigration authority under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), while creating humanitarian and racial justice concerns in the meantime.
Background
Officially named the South Florida Detention Facility, Alligator Alcatraz sits on Florida’s west coast, surrounded by the Everglades swampland. This facility was constructed in mere days, with tents and temporary infrastructure rapidly assembled to begin housing noncitizens.[3]
What makes Alligator Alcatraz especially unusual is that it is the first state-run immigration detention facility holding federal detainees.[4] Florida claims authority to run Alligator Alcatraz through agreements made under INA § 287(g), which allows state agencies to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist in certain immigration enforcement efforts.[5] Yet, Florida’s actions reflect an unusual degree of state initiative. Critics state that it appears to stretch beyond what Congress intended by granting limited immigration enforcement powers to local agencies.
Legal Tension between INA § 287(g) and Florida’s Actions
INA § 287(g) allows ICE to enter into formal agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out specific immigration enforcement tasks.[6] Importantly, however, states cannot operate independently under these agreements. All actions taken under 287(g) must occur under ICE supervision and federal direction, including identifying noncitizens, making immigration arrests, and initiating removals.[7] The statute’s intent is cooperation, not autonomy.
Florida’s actions and approach appear to push those boundaries. Reports suggest that the Alligator Alcatraz initiative was driven largely by state authorities, who have exercised broad discretion over operational decisions.[8] This potentially transforms what should be a federally supervised partnership into a state-led regime, which Congress never authorized. In response, the ACLU of Florida has filed a class action lawsuit challenging the legality of Alligator Alcatraz, arguing that this state-run facility directly violates federal law and exceeds 287(g)’s scope of authority.[9] Florida, meanwhile, maintains that its actions fall within its delegated authority and that the state is merely assisting federal efforts, not replacing them.[10] Nonetheless, this operation clearly blurs the line between federal and state power in immigration settings.
Race and Social Justice Considerations
Even beyond its legal uncertainty, Alligator Alcatraz raises serious concerns about race, justice, and human rights. Detainees have reported numerous inhumane conditions, including a lack of water access, inadequate food, and access to religious freedoms.[11] Holding cells are described as “cages,” and reports detail a lack of legal access, minimal medical care, and extreme isolation.[12] The facility’s remote location, “surrounded by alligator-infested swampland,” makes it nearly impossible for families, lawyers, or organizations to reach detainees.[13] Conditions inside have also drawn attention for frequent air conditioning failures during Florida’s extreme heat, as well as the potential exposure to hurricanes and wildfires.[14]
A Miami Herald investigation revealed that immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba comprise nearly half of the detainee population at Alligator Alcatraz, and hundreds are held without any criminal charges.[15] This contributes to a damaging narrative that equates noncitizens with criminality and further reinforces racialized assumptions about who “belongs” in America.
Through a racial justice lens, Alligator Alcatraz shows how state-led immigration enforcement can magnify inequality by isolating marginalized communities, limiting transparency, and reducing accountability. This facility’s existence underscores the larger issues underlying U.S. immigration policy.
Conclusion
Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz proves to be more than an immigration detention center. This represents a test case for how far states can go in asserting control over immigration under 287(g). Its broad interpretation of delegated authority, combined with reports of racial disparities, limited due process, and inhumane conditions, reveals deep inequalities embedded in immigration enforcement. As litigation continues over Alligator Alcatraz, the outcome may not only shape the future of Florida’s immigration policies but also a broader national debate over state power in the immigration system.
[1] Patricia Mazzei & David C. Adams, Judge Orders That ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Be Shut Down for Now, N.Y. Times: U.S. Immigration (Aug. 21, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/alligator-alcatraz-florida-ruling.html [https://perma.cc/L8FF-HV27].
[2] Bruce Ritchie, Federal appeals court blocks judge’s order shutting down Alligator Alcatraz, Politico (Sept. 4, 2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/04/federal-appeals-court-alligator-alcatraz-00545277 [https://perma.cc/9VPG-4CHS].
[3] See ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ timeline: Everglades detention center from beginning to now, NBC6: Alligator Alcatraz (Aug. 19, 2025),https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/alligator-alcatraz-timeline-everglades-detention-center-from-beginning-to-now/3663585/ [https://perma.cc/PST4-8B2T].
[4] Mazzei & Adams, supra note 1.
[5] ACLU of Florida, New Lawsuit Challenges Florida’s Authority to Detain People at Notorious ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center, ACLU: Press Releases (Aug. 23, 2025), https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/new-lawsuit-challenges-floridas-authority-to-detain-people-at-notorious-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center [https://perma.cc/4N82-RNJK].
[6] Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act, U.S. ICE (Oct. 16, 2025), https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g [https://perma.cc/N3FH-SFLX].
[7] Id.
[8] ACLU of Florida, supra note 5.
[9] Id.
[10] Who runs Alligator Alcatraz? Florida or the federal government?, Tampa Bay Times (Aug. 8, 2025), https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/runs-alligator-alcatraz-florida-federal-210438880.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACL84E8NOMYCJmiQbm-1tMMO73d4NFkltk2dkIjsW_sVNy2NAsNq9rQZ-G57LVi5gx5KOowHeJKEJBc-oYnxzQgapVms6yuaLq3PJumiZ5FoK9RL-aN9PnXGhQ6ic9-Bp8P23aZpKNIyjNNcItgkfYRDpyE7NJEGwtf83kObO0hr [https://perma.cc/2FVA-HQA6].
[11] Anna McAllister, Florida officials deny accusations of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz, CBS News: Local News (July 9, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/alligator-alcatraz-detainees-allege-inhumane-conditions-at-immigration-detention-center/ [https://perma.cc/4VWS-GH8L].
[12] See Gisela Salomon & Kate Payne, Detained immigrants at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ say there are worms in food and wastewater on the floor, Associated Press: U.S. News (July 11, 2025),https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-immigration-detainees-florida-cc2fb9e34e760a50e97f13fe59cbf075 [https://perma.cc/H37X-NA6X
[13] Peter Charalambous & Laura Romero, ‘It’s like you’re dead alive’: Families, advocates allege inhumane conditions at ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ ABCNews (Aug. 14, 2025), https://abcnews.go.com/US/youre-dead-alive-families-advocates-allege-inhumane-conditions/story?id=124645763 [https://perma.cc/RKD2-43G7]; Salomon & Payne, supra note 12.
[14] Salomon & Payne, supra note 12.
[15] Ana Ceballos, Claire Healy, Shirsho Dasgupta, & Ben Wieder, Exclusive: Hundreds at Alligator Alcatraz have no criminal charges, Miami Herald learns, Miami Herald: Immigration (July 13, 2025), https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article310541810.html [https://perma.cc/2NPU-DF7B].
