The Everglades will take center stage July 1 as the political capital of the world when President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis visit the already infamous Alligator Alcatraz.
A site known as the Jetport is now home to a growing migrant prison encampment capable of holding thousands of detainees.
The land is on north side of Tamiami Trail near the eastern edge of Collier County, in the heart of the 730,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve.
The idea sprouted July 19 when Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the prison on social media.
Protesters began monitoring the site that day, and by June 21 they had gathered by the dozens along an isolated stretch of highway.
A lawsuit was filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity June 27.
“We haven’t yet heard from the court,” said Elise Bennett, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Miami-Dade did file a response and they questioned if any environmental concerns are being taken.”
The prison is slated to begin accepting detainees July 1. It was unclear whether any immigrant detainees have been or will be moved into the site by the time the president visits.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court and was against Miami-Dade, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency, or FEMA.
Bennet said she and her group hopes to stop construction of the prison, which did not receive approval in the traditional governmental fashion.
Environmental groups hope to stop construction of controversial prison
Instead, Gov. DeSantis declared an emergency to cooperate with the Trump administration’s push to rehome millions of undocumented immigrants.
“It’s possible it could be (halted),” Bennett said. “Especially since there are critical environmental resources on the line. Resources that we could repair or bring back.”
Bennett said the groups are concerned that the entire process has played out behind closed doors and on social media accounts.
“I think our concerns run the gamut because there’s no transparency on the site,” Bennett said “We’re seeing trucks full of fill material, trucks with generators and lights. We have very serious concerns about the wetlands and water quality and the endangered species like the Florida panther and bonneted bat.”
Bennett said the prison could also impact the multi-billion dollar Everglades restoration.
President Trump to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ at DeSantis invitation
Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed on June 30 that Trump would visit.
The governor spoke about the impending July 1 visit during an appearance in The Villages at which he signed the new state budget.
“You literally have the president coming down tomorrow to tout what Florida has done,” DeSantis said.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would visit the facility which she called “an efficient and low-cost way to help carry out the largest mass deportation in American history.” She added that the isolated location is “surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain” that serve as a “deterrent” for anyone thinking of escaping.
Collier emergency workers on alert for Trump visit
Officials at the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District said district personnel would be at the site as means of safety simply because it’s in their district, but they’re not taking any special safety measures outside of what they would do for any other special event in the area.
Frustrated Collier County Commissioner has ‘no plans to visit’
Collier Commissioner Bill McDaniel, whose district now includes the detention center, has expressed frustration over the lack of transparency about it. The county wasn’t notified of the plans for “Alligator Alcatraz” before they were announced publicly by state officials.
Asked if he planned to go to the site for President Trump’s tour, he said via email: “I have no plans to visit.”
Contributing: Antonio Fins, Palm Beach Post; Tayeba Hussein and Laura Layden, Naples Daily News and The (Fort Myers) News-Press.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Trump prepares to visit Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz;’ groups hope lawsuit will halt it
Reporting by Chad Gillis, Fort Myers News-Press / Naples Daily News
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