‘Alligator Alcatraz’: Environmental groups sue to block Everglades migrant center

Gov. DeSantis leads 'Alligator Alcatraz' tour

On Friday morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis led FOX & Friends Anchor Steve Doocy on a tour of "Alligator Alcatraz." Florida is using its emergency powers to take over the remote, 30-square-mile site in the Everglades to build an immigration detention center. The state said the site will hold up to 5,000 immigration detainees and will operate under the current state of emergency. Construction is already underway.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday to block a migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" now being built on an airstrip in the heart of the Florida Everglades.

What we know:

A coalition of environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday to stop construction of a migrant detention facility in the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida. The site — nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" — is already under construction at a remote airfield west of Miami. 

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Critics say it threatens endangered species and violates environmental law by bypassing review and public input.

The backstory:

The site has long been a battleground for conservationists. In the 1970s, the area was nearly turned into the world’s largest airport before opposition, led by environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, halted the plans. The site later became federally protected land under the Big Cypress National Preserve.

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Big picture view:

This legal challenge comes as Florida aligns more closely with federal immigration enforcement under a potential second Trump administration. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have backed the facility as necessary infrastructure for mass deportations. The state GOP is even selling "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise.

What we don't know:

The court has not yet scheduled a hearing, and federal agencies have not issued public statements on whether environmental reviews will proceed. It’s also unclear how soon detainees will be processed at the site, despite DeSantis saying operations could begin next week.