Miami-Dade mayor demands 'immediate access' and oversight over Alligator Alcatraz

Alex Harris, Miami Herald on Jul 25, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MIAMI — The Mayor of Miami-Dade County is once again demanding access to Alligator Alcatraz, the immigrant detention center in the Everglades that was rapidly built on property seized from the county.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s letter to the state, issued Friday, was a stern call for “immediate access and oversight authority” and requested a response by July 28.

“As the legal property owner of this site, the County is entitled to conduct inspections and assert oversight over any ongoing operations, including those initiated under emergency declarations,” she wrote.

Levine Cava’s letter highlighted her concerns about inhumane conditions for detainees, referencing a Miami Herald news story about a 15-year-old who was briefly housed at the site. She reiterated her issues with the environmental impacts of the detention facility, as well as the lack of a publicly available plan for evacuations in the event of a hurricane.

The new letter repeats many of the concerns outlined in a July 8 letter that Levine Cava also sent to the state.

After a flashy opening day tour featuring right-wing influencers, President Donald Trump and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Florida has allowed only limited access inside the detention facilities.

Florida politicians did get a guided tour on July 12. Republicans said they saw a well-run and orderly facility and Democrats said they were given too limited a view to answer many of their questions about conditions.

Levine Cava’s new letter repeated her previously ignored requests for weekly updates from Alcatraz staff about the center, as well as remote video access of the detention facility — or third-party access for ongoing observation.

“The County received no formal communication from your office prior to the development and deployment of this facility, and repeated efforts to seek transparency have been ignored or rebuffed. Our residents deserve full accountability for operations taking place on County-owned property,” she wrote.