FacebookInstagramYouTube

Statement from our Executive Director on the removal of detainees from “Alligator Alcatraz”

June 17, 2026  Statement from Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples on detainees being removed from "Alligator Alcatraz:" “‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will go down as one of the biggest policy failures in American history. Our government failed to protect the Everglades and failed to follow basic environmental laws — while racking up an estimated $1 billion tab paid by taxpayers.  Friends of the Everglades and our many allies have fought for a full year to hold the state and federal government accountable for this assault, and this week’s news shows the pressure worked. But the work is not done. ICE’s decision to remove detainees, if true, is overdue and welcome news, yet threats to the Everglades persist. We [...]

2026-06-17T15:36:21-04:00June 17th, 2026|All Posts, Alligator Alcatraz|
Read More

One year (too many) of “Alligator Alcatraz”

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, state and federal officials brazenly ignored our most fundamental environmental laws to build a mass detention center on hallowed ground in the Everglades.  They dubbed it “Alligator Alcatraz” and slapped the name on t-shirts and stickers. It was always more political stunt than public policy — and it totally backfired. “Alligator Alcatraz” was a failure by every measure: the massive waste of taxpayer dollars; the harm to the Everglades; the disregard for Miccosukee tribal lands and lives; the insult to Big Cypress National Preserve, which encircles the site. It’s been said that national parks were America’s best idea … “Alligator Alcatraz” was one of its worst. The legal action we filed [...]

2026-06-15T16:03:26-04:00June 16th, 2026|All Posts, Alligator Alcatraz, Voice of the Everglades|
Read More

Environmental Win: Stronger protections advance in Miami-Dade

Friends of the Everglades is making sure the environment has a strong voice as Miami-Dade County updates its development plan to guide the county’s growth and land-use decisions.  The county’s Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) Task Force, convened by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, is preparing recommendations on changes to Miami-Dade’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP), a process required by state law every seven years. Friends of the Everglades is represented on the EAR Task Force by Richard Grosso, a respected environmental land-use attorney with decades of experience advocating for smart growth. Thanks to Richard’s research and advocacy, the Task Force adopted Friends of the Everglades’ recommendations — a preliminary win for the Everglades and all of us who depend on [...]

2026-06-15T15:32:47-04:00June 16th, 2026|Hold the Line, Stopping Sprawl|
Read More

“Alligator Alcatraz” is STILL open. 3 new stories reveal waste, fraud and abuse

One year ago this month, we mounted a once-in-a-generation fight to protect the Everglades from reckless threats inflicted by our own government at “Alligator Alcatraz.” We’re now on the verge of shutting it down. The Atlantic just published a story that underscores how pivotal our legal action was in turning the tide against this ill-conceived detention center: The Alligator Alcatraz Boondoggle After 11 months of environmental harm, and an astonishing price tag borne by taxpayers, the same state leaders who rushed this prison into existence have yet to provide clear answers about its future. The Miami Herald laid bare the total lack of accountability in this blockbuster investigation: How DeSantis signed away $1 billion for state run immigration detention [...]

2026-06-10T16:44:59-04:00June 11th, 2026|Alligator Alcatraz|
Read More

“I am the mangrove” — a visual love letter to the Indian River Lagoon

SIGN YOUR NAME TO RESCUE THE RIVER OF GRASS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Friend, I am the mangrove. I build. Quietly, quietly, through the blazing days, Through the breathing nights, I thrust my grey roots, Building. I have spent this spring documenting segments of the Indian River Lagoon, building a story of the estuary using my cameras.  The story is as spectacular as the river is resilient. There is rich Indigenous history, which I learned more about while reading Indian River Lagoon: An Environmental History.  There is my own history with this waterway — having told its stories throughout my career, having made my own glorious memories [...]

2026-06-15T13:15:58-04:00June 10th, 2026|All Posts, Everglades Zen, Florida Legislative Tracker, Rescue the River of Grass, St. Lucie Estuary|
Read More

Environmental justice is personal for this young advocate: Welcome Frances Josma

It’s our pleasure to introduce our 2026 Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar, Frances Josma.  Frances Josma, the 2026 Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar. Frances Josma is a Florida State University student pursuing dual degrees in Public Health and Environment & Society, with a minor in Philosophy of Science. Conservation as a way of life is a shared family value founded in her Haitian heritage, leading Frances to pursue diverse experiences in climate justice and water advocacy. She has organized campus events, led fundraising efforts, advocated for policy changes and co-authored an op-ed about Tallahassee’s clean energy plan. Frances has been drawn to environmental outreach from a young age, where the spiritual tradition of lwa shaped her responsibility to protect [...]

2026-07-31T16:20:22-04:00June 4th, 2026|Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholars Internship and Scholarship, Young Friends of the Everglades|
Read More

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ is STILL open — and we’re still fighting

If we’ve learned one thing since “Alligator Alcatraz” was built on hallowed ground in the Everglades last summer, it’s this: We can’t take government assertions about the detention center at face value.  “Aligator Alcatraz” was planned in secret.  Built in secret.  And, for more than 10 months, it has operated in secret — on sensitive swampland encircled by Big Cypress National Preserve. “Alligator Alcatraz” was built in the footprint of the most recent congressionally authorized Everglades restoration project, the $2 billion Western Everglades Restoration Project, with zero regard for the threat to that taxpayer investment. The secrecy continues now, following reports that the facility is slated to close. On May 7, The New York Times broke the news that [...]

2026-05-19T09:50:54-04:00May 19th, 2026|All Posts, Alligator Alcatraz, Voice of the Everglades|
Read More

We won’t stop fighting until “Alligator Alcatraz” is officially shut down

Reports say “Alligator Alcatraz” may be closing, but we’re keeping our foot on the gas The end is near for “Alligator Alcatraz.” It can’t come soon enough. Ten months after DeSantis appointee James Uthmeier announced the political stunt as a “low-cost opportunity,” reports confirm that the ICE detention facility’s days are numbered. According to the New York Times, vendors were told that detainees would be moved out by early June, with the facility dismantled in the weeks that follow. As of today, the site is still operating. We will not stop fighting until “Alligator Alcatraz” is officially shut down, all construction is removed, and harm at the site is remediated. Until then, we are continuing full [...]

2026-05-13T15:03:43-04:00May 13th, 2026|All Posts, Alligator Alcatraz|
Read More

Alligator Alcatraz Could Shut Down in June

For Immediate Release, May 12,2026 Alligator Alcatraz Could Shut Down in June MIAMI— The massive detention center in the heart of the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” is slated to be closed in June, according to reports from vendors at the facility. The facility was hastily constructed last summer and continues to operate illegally in Big Cypress National Preserve.  Tuesday’s report comes as Friends of the Everglades and Center for Biological Diversity are poised to return to court in early June when the court of appeals will return jurisdiction to the trial judge who temporarily paused operations last year. “We won't let up until Alligator Alcatraz is shut down and its harm to the Everglades is completely remediated,” said [...]

2026-05-12T20:28:09-04:00May 12th, 2026|Alligator Alcatraz, Friends of the Everglades Statements, Press Releases|
Read More

Everglades groups vow to fight on, despite temporary setback in court of appeal

For Immediate Release, April 21,2026 Everglades groups vow to fight on, despite temporary setback in court of appeal MIAMI— The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the ICE detention center in the heart of the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” can keep operating even though it hasn’t gone through any environmental review.  Everglades groups vowed to fight on, despite today’s ruling. The ruling today invalidates the preliminary injunction that U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued in August 2025 to prevent environmental harm caused by the facility. Today’s ruling allows legal challenges to continue, including deliberation on the merits of the case. The ruling is a setback for the imperiled wildlife and fragile ecosystems of the Big Cypress National Preserve, including the Florida panthers that frequent [...]

2026-04-21T18:11:44-04:00April 21st, 2026|Alligator Alcatraz, Friends of the Everglades Statements, Press Releases|
Read More