In Everglades (Florida) there is a new “detention center” that has sparked controversy, how not… They call it “Alligator Alcatraz”, and not by accident. Images and testimonies that have come to light now show a place with military routines, constant surveillance, and extreme isolation, but for who? Well, all of this is applied to people who have not even been convicted of a crime, they are just migrant people. Yes…
We are talking about the South Florida Reception Center – Glades Unit, which was created to house migrants while they await legal proceedings or deportation. But its structure and operation look much more like a high-security prison than an administrative center.
Color-coded uniforms
Each “detainee” wears a different color depending on the “risk level” assigned by the authorities. At 5:30 AM, everyone must get up and follow the routines: how to walk through the hallways, how to sit in the cafeteria, how to respond… wow.
The administration says these rules are “necessary” to maintain order (…sure), but what about Human Rights? It is not a very friendly system!! It generates anxiety, fear, and of course, it dehumanizes people who are not serving any sentence because they are simply existing.
Physical and psychological isolation
This center is in the middle of the swamps, far from everything. They cannot be visited by their families and it makes difficult for lawyers and other organizations to reach the place. Of course, this limits oversight of what happens inside. The “Alcatraz” nickname is not by chance.
Immigration lawyers say sometimes takes hours to get a phone call with their clients, and many go days without direct contact. If you add the surrounding environment (geographic isolation) and the feeling of being “in the middle of nowhere”, it makes these people feel truly detained and defenseless.
And of course, this reduces the transparency of the process. We repeat, are these people’s rights being respected?
Criticism over extreme conditions
There have been reports of deficiencies in food, medical care, and access to basic services. “The land of freedom” they call it. Sure. Meals are standardized and served at fixed times, and several detainees say they are insufficient or of poor quality.
As for medical care, lawyers warn that it is limited and slow, which is especially serious in a hot and humid environment where any illness can worsen quickly.
Immigration center… or prison?
Even it is officially presented as a “reception and classification center”, the truth is that this place operates similar to a maximum-security prison. Daily control, color codes, routines, and isolation paint a picture far from what a space for people in migration processes should be.
Expert people remind us that many of these people have committed no crime!!! And that they could wait for their cases in freedom or under less restrictive measures.
“What we see here is a hidden criminalization of immigration”
A model with a political background
This center cannot be understood without the political context of Florida, that has become one of the main points of the harshest immigration policy in the U.S., with state laws and federal measures that prioritize detention and rapid deportation over other alternatives…
Civil organizations fear that this model could spread to other parts of the country if lawmakers and courts do not respond firmly. Meanwhile, the government insists that the facilities comply with federal standards.
But for many of us, this is also about human dignity. The way these people are treated shows how far U.S. immigration policy is willing to push the limits in the name of control and dehumanize people who are simply seeking a better life…