'Alligator Alcatraz' plan lacks transparency: Environmental advocate
Share and Follow


() An organizer with a Florida conservationist group is alleging a lack of transparency from government officials over the immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

“The federal government needs to look before it leaps, even when it’s acting in partnership with the state of Florida,” Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, told .

Friends of the Everglades, along with the Center for Biological Diversity, filed a lawsuit Friday against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Miami-Dade County. The lawsuit seeks to halt further construction at the site.

“The site is more than 96% wetlands, surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve, and is habitat for the endangered Florida panther and other iconic species. This scheme is not only cruel, it threatens the Everglades ecosystem that state and federal taxpayers have spent billions to protect,” Samples said in a statement.

President Donald Trump visited the controversial facility Tuesday along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. It will have heavy-duty tents and trailers to house detained immigrants. The state of Florida said it will soon have 5,000 beds in operation there.

On potential environmental damage to the Everglades, Trump said, “We’ll be gone a million years, and this land will still be here … I think it was a brilliant choice, and I think almost anybody in his or her right mind would say this was a brilliant choice.”

Samples said the campaigns rolled out by Florida politicians that announced the opening of “Alligator Alcatraz” ignored the environmental impacts.

DHS responded to the lawsuit, calling it “lazy,” and added that the group is ignoring that the land in question has been developed for years.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney

Judge Luigi Mangione Evaluates Critical Evidence in Dispute Over Suspect’s Backpack Search, Says Attorney

In recent hearings held in New York, the spotlight was on the…
Dark past of woman who stabbed a mother in NYC Macy's bathroom

Uncovering the Troubled History of Woman Involved in NYC Macy’s Bathroom Stabbing

A shocking incident unfolded at Macy’s flagship store in New York City…
Fired Michigan coach's mistress is still employed by Wolverines

Controversy Strikes as Michigan Wolverines Retain Job for Fired Coach’s Alleged Mistress

The woman involved in the scandal with Michigan’s former head coach Sherrone…
FILE - Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during a taping of FOX News Channel

Illinois Joins Ranks: A Landmark Move in Medically Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Patients

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has officially signed into law…
Woman with 100 prior arrests faces judge after crash that killed Grammy-nominated musician

Woman with Extensive Arrest Record Appears in Court After Fatal Crash Involving Grammy-Nominated Artist

Nearly a week after an incident involving the tragic death of Roderick…
Palmdale Street shooting on Jacksonville's Northwest side leaves man dead

Teenager Killed, Two Others Injured in Sandalwood Shooting Following Unsuccessful Drug Deal, Reports JSO

According to Sergeant Highfill of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, several witnesses have…
Chicago Burger King employee stabbed while telling customer to leave restaurant on West Irving Park Road, sources say

Burger King Employee Attacked While Addressing Customer Incident in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — A confrontation at a Burger King on Chicago’s Northwest…
Venezuelan dissident Machado credits Trump for advancing freedom movement, dedicates Nobel to him

Venezuelan Activist Machado Praises Trump’s Impact on Freedom, Dedicates Nobel Prize in His Honor

EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has expressed her…