An alert reader sent a snarky comment to the “sound off” column of a newspaper editorial page last week, pointing out that federal rules of the road specify certain colors for highway signs—green for city names and mileage numbers, blue for services like restaurants, gas stations and hotels and yellow for hazard warnings—so the state goofed with the big blue nameplates at Alligator Alcatraz.
The big complex out in the Everglades has plenty of beds, and it’s certainly meant to be a short-term stopover, but it’s no Holiday Inn. Actually, it’s many things but the feds don’t have a signage color for all-purpose political publicity gimmicks.
That’s the main use Democrats and Republicans alike have found for the sprawling encampment hastily erected beside an old airstrip, surrounded by swampland presumed to be full of ravenous reptiles. It’s the inland equivalent of a perfect storm, embodying everything anyone could want— and not want—in a transfer facility for thousands of people who are in the country illegally, and on their way out.
First, it’s remote enough to be out of sight for comfortable folks in Miami or Fort Myers. But it’s close enough to big cities that lawyers, family members and various government officials can meet with people when needed.
Second, there’s that big old runway. The place was intended as a regional hub for the Super Sonic Transport in the late 1960s, when planners envisioned mega-rich tourists hurdling the Atlantic in four hours, or so, to visit Disney or connect to South America and points west. The SST didn’t work out so well and the landing strip became mainly a flight-training site.
Third, and best of all for proponents of the project, the hotly controversial undertaking is PR gold—embodying the Republican state and national administrations’ toughness on illegal immigration. And, just as important for Democrats, it is an ugly reminder of everything “the Left” hates about President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The political imagery is bigger than the utility of the place.
Attorney General James Uthmeier, a largely unknown recent appointee to the Cabinet post, needs to look tough for reelection next year. DeSantis is always happy to own the libs and depict undocumented migrants as a sinister threat. And the Democrats, either by default or by political opportunism, will preen as stalwart defenders of the poor and downtrodden.
So both sides were quick to exploit Alligator Alcatraz. Uthmeier was credited with the name, evoking visions of a supermax slammer surrounded by slimy predators. DeSantis, whose administration once flew immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard so those elitists could enjoy the cultural enrichment, pledged state funding for the complex. Trump himself flew down for the grand opening, with a little joke about escapees running a zig-zag path to flee the gators.
The executive inspection was so thorough, it included a big photo of Trump, DeSantis and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yukking it up amidst some chainlink cages full of bunk beds. Eager to hype their own imagery, a squad of legislative Democrats courageously risked nationwide TV exposure with an abortive inspection mission on July 3. They were stopped at the gate, which might have surprised anyone who missed all those stories last month about congressional Democrats being barred from a New Jersey detention center. Unlike that confrontation, the Everglades incident didn’t result in a physical clash or any arrests.
A few days later, the Division of Emergency Management invited some legislators and Congress members to visit after The Miami Herald reported that spouses of detainees had complained of harsh conditions. But the state set the terms—no staff members or other tag-alongs.
Officially, the reason for turning away the first bunch was concern for their safety, although Trump and DeSantis had been in the place two days earlier. An honest explanation would have been, “This joint is our publicity gimmick—did you really think we’d let you use it?”
Naturally, both sides are using Alligator Alcatraz for campaign fund-raising. The Democrats put out a couple of solicitations for money to support court fights, while the state GOP offered an entire line of T-shirts, caps and beer koozies emblazoned with the Alligator Alcatraz emblem.
Environmental concern killed the jetport idea 50 years ago, but ecology won’t be a problem for Alligator Alcatraz unless somebody flushes a toilet or turns on a tap. There have also been protests by Native American tribal leaders and picky little details about flooding, with hurricane season just starting.
Trump and DeSantis could probably accomplish the same purpose by stashing immigrants in 10 or 20 smaller camps, old military bases or jails across the country. But a lot of little camps wouldn’t provide a central symbol for Democrats to attack the Republicans’ policies or amuse MAGA voters like the idea of some poor Guatemalan guy sweltering in a big tent under Florida’s summer sun, with snakes and gators all around.
Bill Cotterell is a retired Capitol reporter for United Press International and the Tallahassee Democrat. He can be reached at wrcott43@aol.com.
