Persistent weekly protests target Florida detention site known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Protesters have continued weekly demonstrations outside a remote immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, drawing renewed attention to a site that has become a focal point in the national immigration debate.

Each Sunday, groups of demonstrators travel to the detention center, commonly referred to by critics as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, where they gather outside the gates to call for its closure.

What began as a small protest in August has grown into a regular demonstration attended by hundreds, despite extreme weather conditions and the facility’s isolated location.

Weekly demonstrations oppose immigration detention policies

Organizers said that the weekly gatherings have become a standing protest against detention policies supported by President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Both leaders had previously cited the facility as an example of strict immigration enforcement.

The protests continued even after a federal judge initially ordered the facility closed in August, a ruling that was later reversed by an appeals court.

Activists said reports alleging poor conditions inside the center have contributed to the sustained turnout.

Limited care and legal options fuel protest

Arianne Betancourt said that her participation was driven by concerns about her father, Justo, who she said was detained during a routine immigration check-in.

Betancourt said her father, who has diabetes, has not consistently received insulin while in custody.

"They just told him he can get it in Mexico," Betancourt said, describing what she said were limited medical care and legal options.

She said detainees have little notice before deportation and a limited ability to appeal decisions.

"There’s no options, no due process… nothing you can appeal," she said.

Families find strength in shared trauma

Participants said that the weekly vigils have become a support network for families affected by detentions.

Betancourt said that she has met spouses and children who were also dealing with the detention of loved ones.

"We’re all feeling the same way," she said. "At the end of the day, we’re all going through the same thing."

She said families often exchange information about legal aid and other resources.

Pastor frames detention as a moral issue 

Pastor Andy Oliver of St Petersburg said that he helped organize transportation to the site for members of his congregation.

Oliver said that he viewed the situation of detainees through a moral and religious lens.

"These people have been plucked out from whatever life they had into hell," Oliver said.

He said calls from detainees were sometimes played over loudspeakers during protests, with speakers describing conditions inside the facility.

Veteran condemns 'ICE thugs' and racism

John Reynolds, an 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran, said that he attended the protests weekly after traveling from Naples.

Reynolds criticized federal immigration enforcement practices and said that they conflicted with the values he had served to defend.

"We have these ICE thugs who have been paid bonuses… to arrest somebody in a church parking lot that happens to be brown," Reynolds claimed.

He described current policies as discriminatory, reflecting deep frustration among some protesters.

Protester claims detainees are treated like dogs in cages

Lois Cohen, a 91-year-old protester, said that the conditions alleged at the detention center compelled her to attend demonstrations regularly.

"You can’t imagine people being treated like dogs, and kept in cages like dogs," Cohen said.

She described the protests as emotionally difficult but necessary, citing her experiences witnessing other historical civil rights struggles.

Organizers clear about the movement's end goal

Organizers said that the movement has expanded through coordination among labor groups, religious organizations, and tribal communities.

Noelle Damico of the Workers Circle said turnout is expected to increase over the holiday period.

"It’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when," Damico said, referring to the facility’s future. "And we will end this."

The Department of Homeland Security has not responded publicly to the protesters’ allegations regarding conditions at the detention center.