Miami New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Miami, Florida

Alligator Alcatraz Security Job Postings Hint at Long-Term Facility

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 4, 2025

State officials have repeatedly insisted the detention center would be temporary.

A shirt print shows an apparent AI image of an alligator dressed in law enforcement garb.

Etsy Shop Plays Both Sides of Political Fence With Alligator Alcatraz

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 31, 2025

If you're looking for a gift for your liberal cousin and your xenophobic aunt, we've got the shop for you.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection boat patrols the waters near Miami Beach.

The New Deportation Economy? ICE, CBP Hiring Booms in South Florida

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 31, 2025

Six-figure pay, Trump-themed ads, and the rise of Alligator Alcatraz reflect a fresh surge in immigration enforcement hiring.

Miami Li'l Abner Mobile Home Landlord Is Alligator Alcatraz Contractor

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 30, 2025

Several ambulances bearing the National Health Transport (NHT) logo were recently spotted leaving the detention center.

Shalala Student Center looking over Lake Osceola on University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, Florida.

University of Miami DACA Scholarships Now Under Federal Investigation

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 28, 2025

UM is the lone private school under investigation for providing scholarships to Dreamers.

President Donald Trump participates in a walking tour of the immigration detention center, Alligator Alcatraz.

Military Planes Appear to Fly Alligator Alcatraz Detainees to Texas, Louisiana

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 25, 2025

Flight tracking data appears to show that two military aircraft left the facility this week for Texas and Louisiana.

Sonia Bichara (right) and Rafael Collodo pose for a picture in front of balloons

A Detainee Spoke at Alligator Alcatraz Protest. His Fiancée Hasn't Heard From Him Since.

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 25, 2025

"Nobody knows where he’s at," Sonia Bichara tells New Times.

illustration of a solitary dog outside a barbed-wire-enclosed detention facility holding a leash in its mouth as if waiting for its human companion

Orphans of the Deported: South Florida Deportations Are Quietly Filling Animal Shelters

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 24, 2025

A hidden toll of President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts: Abandoned pets.

Miami Shores Village Council votes on the controversial 287(g) agreement.

Miami Shores Defers 287(g) Deal

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 23, 2025

South Florida cities have been signing on since President Donald Trump began his heavy-handed immigration enforcement.

A woman speaks to reporters about her husband's experience in Alligator Alcatraz.

Detainees' Families Decry Alligator Alcatraz 'Humanitarian Crisis'

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 23, 2025

They joined protesters in urging Miami-Dade County officials to immediately evacuate and close the facility.

Venezuelan Man Released From El Salvador After Possibly Being Deported Over Tattoo

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 21, 2025

Luis Carlos José Marcano Silva, 26, was living in Bradenton, Florida, when he vanished into a foreign prison.

People hold signs protesting against Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades

Alligator Alcatraz Sparks Indigenous-Led Resistance in the Everglades

By Kat Grimmett

Jul 18, 2025

Indigenous youth and immigrant-rights organizers unite to oppose the Everglades facility, erected with emergency powers.

A screenshot shows a "404" error message where the "Our Leaders" page once lived on the website for Critical Response Strategies, a Jacksonville-based firm awarded a $78 million contract for security and support services at the site.

Executives Cashing in on Alligator Alcatraz Hide Pics, Bios Online

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 17, 2025

The digital disappearing acts come as human rights advocates raise alarms about conditions at the remote site.

President Donald Trump addresses reporters in the Florida Everglades.

Poll: Miami Residents Sour on Trump Over Immigration, Economy

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 17, 2025

Is South Florida's red wave beginning to break?

Is Florida Quietly Removing Alligator Alcatraz Contracts from Public Database?

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 17, 2025

On Tuesday, Orlando lawmaker Anna Eskamani accessed the contract documents on the website. The next day, they were gone.

Screenshot of TikTok video showing man claiming there are incinerators at Alligator Alcatraz.

Wild Alligator Alcatraz Incinerator Conspiracies Flood The Internet

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 15, 2025

TikTokers cite a March 2024 video as proof of incinerators at the facility — but the footage wasn’t even shot in Florida.

A Reminder That Marco Rubio's Brother-in-Law Was a Prolific Cocaine Trafficker

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 14, 2025

While Trump deports immigrants for old drug charges, Rubio's brother-in-law was the frontman of a drug trafficking operation.

Osvaldo Calixto Amador's Art Weaves a Story About Grief and Creation

By Francisco Alvarado

Jul 11, 2025

Discover the Miami artist's memoir, To Kill a Cockroach, detailing his Cuban exile, loss, and art's powerful healing and creative force.

Photos of Fernando Artese, a 63-year-old Argentine living in Miami, was en route to a new life in Spain. Now, he's being held at Alligator Alcatraz.

A Miami Dad Was Leaving the U.S. He Wound Up at Alligator Alcatraz.

By Alex DeLuca

Jul 11, 2025

"My dad is not a criminal," Carla Artese, a 19-year-old living in Miami, says.

Federal and state officials visit Alligator Alcatraz.

Did a State Official Censor Anti-Alligator Alcatraz Billboards?

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 10, 2025

Immigration advocates put up the billboards on Dolphin Expressway Monday, but the company removed them the same day.

Immigration

Florida's Migrant Camp Breaks the Law

Florida Preps for Alligator Alcatraz 2.0

Immigration

Florida's Migrant Camp Breaks the Law

Florida Preps for Alligator Alcatraz 2.0

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