WEST PALM BEACH – The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board was encouraged to speak out about Alligator Alcatraz at their July 10 meeting.

“The Everglades is in trouble, but you are in the position to do something about it. You are surely aware of the immigrant detention center called Alligator Alcatraz,”  said Gil Smart of the Everglades Foundation. “It was built in eight days on the site of the old Big Cypress jetport without any environmental assessment as required by federal law. Recent aerial photos have shown parts of the site have been filled and paved. Roads have been added and expanded. The once dark night sky is now lit up like football stadium.

“National parks like Everglades National Park have been called America’s best idea, but this mass detention center in the heart of the Everglades is surely one of America’s worst ideas,” he said. Smart thanked the Bergeron Foundation for speaking out against the facility and urged other board members to do the same,” he added.

In a July 2 letter to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Diamon Bergeron, vice president of the Bergeron Everglades Foundation wrote: “The Bergeron Everglades Foundation opposes the proposed construction of a temporary detention facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport known as “Alligator Alcatraz”—formerly the site of the controversial Everglades Jetport and urges decision-makers to consider alternative sites such as Camp Blanding or the Homestead Air Reserve Base. These locations offer existing infrastructure, greater security, and far less ecological risk. Unlike the proposed site, these alternatives would not threaten imperiled wildlife, disrupt sensitive habitat, or directly impact the Miccosukee Tribe, who live on this land and depend on its health for their way of life.

“Our founder, Alligator Ron Bergeron, was one of the original Gladesmen in the 1970s who joined with Tribal leaders, conservationists, hunters, anglers, and scientists to fight the original jetport proposal and protect this sacred landscape. That coalition helped establish the Big Cypress National Preserve—the very first of its kind in our nation, ensuring that the land, water, and wildlife would be protected for generations to come. Today, Alligator Ron Bergeron, the Bergeron family, and the Bergeron Everglades Foundation remain committed to upholding that legacy.

“We are engaged with state and federal stakeholders to highlight the potential harm this facility could bring to water quality, endangered species habitat, and the fragile ecosystem connectivity that the Big Cypress provides.

“The Big Cypress National Preserve is more than protected land. It is a cornerstone of Everglades restoration, a refuge for countless species, and an irreplaceable part of Florida’s natural and cultural heritage. The Bergeron Everglades Foundation will continue the fight to protect this national treasure.”