On February 1, 2026, organizers with The Workers Circle held the 27th consecutive weekly interfaith vigil outside the Florida-run immigrant detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” located deep in the Florida Everglades. Since August 2025, community members, faith leaders, and advocates have gathered week after week to denounce what they describe as a modern-day concentration camp operating on protected land.
We traveled alongside comedian and activist Cliff Cash and activist Arianne Betancourt to witness the vigil and stand in solidarity with those demanding the site’s closure. Cliff Cash joined the gathering to amplify calls to shut the facility down and to support immigrant communities impacted by detention, separation, and disappearance.
During the vigil, loved ones of people detained inside the facility shared emotional testimonies, describing family members suffering from serious health conditions while being denied proper medical attention and necessary medication. Speakers warned that medical neglect inside the facility is placing lives at risk, turning detention into a life-threatening ordeal for those held there.
Betty Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe also spoke, drawing a powerful connection between the human rights abuses taking place inside the facility and the ongoing legal fight against its construction on sacred and environmentally protected Everglades land. The Miccosukee Tribe, alongside environmental organizations, continues to challenge the detention center in court.
After 27 weeks, organizers say the message remains unchanged: this concentration camp must be closed, detainees must be freed, families reunited, and the Everglades protected. Until that day comes, they vow to keep returning—week after week—bearing witness and demanding justice.
Video by Jose Mejia
