COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Newly-released aerial photos taken over the remote airport site of the state-built migrant detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” led environmental groups to question whether it contradicted officials’ claims that no new construction would be done at the site.
But state officials, late Tuesday, said what appeared to be an area being paved over with asphalt “consisted of a pre-existing cement pad installed more than 50 years ago.”
“Over time, a thin layer of dirt and grass settled on top,” officials said.
State officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have said anything at the old Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport near Ochopee will go on the airport’s existing footprint.
DeSantis and his administration have repeatedly countered environmental concerns and a lawsuit over putting a migrant detention center within the Big Cypress National Preserve.
One week since the first detainees arrived, families and advocates have ramped up concerns for their well-being.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent letters raising concerns about deaths at federal detention centers, including at Krome and Broward Transitional, and is asking for access and oversight at this state-run facility.
