1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent from Pinellas County to express my disgust and deep concern over “Alligator Alcatraz”— the concentration camp in the Everglades. This is grotesque. You’re sacrificing one of our state’s most vulnerable ecosystems—and the dignity of immigrant families—for a political stunt. Built on protected farmland and next to sacred land, this facility threatens endangered wildlife, disrupts delicate water systems, and erodes tribal sovereignty—all to detain humans detained without due process, most innocent of any crime other than seeking a better life in the US, in a remote swamp, surrounded by alligators, pythons, and disease-spreading mosquitoes. Environmental experts, Indigenous leaders, and community advocates—including the Miccosukee Tribe—are sounding the alarm. And Florida is committing nearly $450 million annually to this project, when the people of this state are still recovering from last years hurricanes, and struggling to survive skyrocketing housing, insurance, healthcare and food costs. This is not acceptable. I demand that you: Immediately halt construction on the Alligator Alcatraz site; Withdraw state support and funding for this disgraceful project; Commit to a transparent, science-based environmental review before any criminal justice facility is built near the Everglades. If you truly care about Florida’s natural heritage and basic human decency, you will pull the plug on this madness.