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

Appeals Court Blocks Judge's Order to Tear Down Alligator Alcatraz

By Alex DeLuca

Sep 4, 2025

The order marks a temporary victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump.

A wide shot of a road with trees on either side, with a blue sign that reads, "Alligator Alcatraz."

Email Shows Alligator Alcatraz Will Likely Be Empty Within Days: Report

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 27, 2025

A federal judge recently ordered the state to begin dismantling the hastily constructed facility in the Everglades.

Florida Ordered to Tear Down Alligator Alcatraz: What to Know

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 22, 2025

The ruling prohibits the state from admitting new detainees to the site and requires officials to begin tearing it down.

collage of images featuring T-shirts, drinking vessels, and other "The Deport Depot" merch sold by the Republican Party of Florida

That Deportation Depot Merch No One Asked for Just Dropped

By Naomi Feinstein

Aug 15, 2025

A Home Depot spokesperson says the company did not give the Florida GOP permission to use its orange logo and branding.

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking at a press conference.

Gov. DeSantis Announces "Deportation Depot" Immigration Detention Site

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 14, 2025

Florida plans to convert a closed northeast prison into a new immigration detention center.

Nicolas Maduro, dressed in a suit, holds up a blue folder with an election certificate

Florida Luxury Homes Seized From Venezuela’s Maduro, U.S. Says

By Naomi Feinstein

Aug 14, 2025

Pam Bondi says that the federal government has seized "multiple million-dollar homes" in Florida belonging to the dictator.

A photo of Donald Trump's "Border Czar" Tom Homan.

Trump's Border Czar: Alligator Alcatraz Makes ICE Look Like a "Joke"

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 14, 2025

"People get caught up in the names, and they think it becomes a joke. I don't think what we're doing is a joke."

Sporting sunglasses and a pom-pom-topped team-issue knit hat, Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins looks on before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on January 05, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Dolphins QB 'Honored' by Trump Sports Council Appointment

By B. Scott McLendon

Aug 8, 2025

The Alabama alumni and current face of the NFL's concussion debate said he wasn't sure why the president appointed him.

A photo of Katie Miller hosting her new podcast.

South Florida Native Katie Miller Is Now a MAGA Podcaster

By Alex DeLuca

Aug 7, 2025

Next up: her very own cryptocurrency.

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.

An illustration of Donald Trump pulling politicians on a string as if they are puppets.

Keep Them Honest Calls Out Miami Reps Over Alligator Alcatraz

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 31, 2025

The signs are meant to welcome Congressmen Díaz-Balart and Giménez as they return for the August congressional recess.

Congressman Carlos Giménez speaks at a podium with a blank green background

Miami Rep. Carlos Giménez Wants Americans to Move on from Epstein Files

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 28, 2025

"Americans, I think, are over the Epstein case," Giménez said on CNN.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis smiles for photographers.

Remember When: Trump Suggests Florida Governor Groomed Underage Girls

By B. Scott McLendon

Jul 28, 2025

A heckler at Governor Ron DeSantis' Manatee County press conference had some thought-provoking comments.

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.

Ron DeSantis standing at a press conference

Video: Protester Crashes DeSantis' Weird Hulk Hogan Remembrance

By Naomi Feinstein

Jul 24, 2025

The heckler screamed at DeSantis about Alligator Alcatraz and then called him a pedophile.

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.

Trump

Miami Store Sold Epstein Quarter-Zip for $11K

Trump Assassination Suspect's Wild Trial Requests

Trump

Miami Store Sold Epstein Quarter-Zip for $11K

Trump Assassination Suspect's Wild Trial Requests

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