Alligator Alcatraz
Definition
A colloquial nickname for the South Florida Detention Facility (also known as the Everglades Detention Facility), an immigration detention center located in the remote, swampy Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport area of the Florida Everglades. The name evokes the notorious Alcatraz prison due to the facility's isolation and the surrounding alligator-infested wetlands, which serve as a natural barrier against escape.
The term gained prominence around 2025 amid controversies over its conditions, with critics dubbing it 'Alligator Alcatraz' to highlight alleged human rights abuses in a harsh, inhospitable environment.
Examples
Alligator Alcatraz just got a legal lifeline from the appeals court – truly the gift that keeps on snapping.
Politicians are hailing Alligator Alcatraz as Florida's innovative solution to border security: why build a wall when the Everglades provide complimentary toothy escorts?
One former detainee at Alligator Alcatraz wistfully recalled regular prisons as downright luxurious by comparison.
Environmentalists and activists unite against Alligator Alcatraz, protesting what they call America's swampiest symbol of detention excellence.