Sealed Behind Steel: The Aftermath of Alligator Alcatraz

By Jose Mejia

Locked gates now seal the entrance to the former Alligator Alcatraz concentration camp in the Florida Everglades after public pressure, legal challenges, and mounting reports of abuse forced its closure.

The blue sign that once marked the entrance has disappeared, leaving behind only chain-link fencing, heavy steel gates, and an empty road leading into what human rights advocates describe as one of the darkest chapters in Florida's immigration system.

Although the camp has been shut down, the suffering has not ended.

Many of those imprisoned there were transferred to the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami, where families and immigrant rights organizations continue to report overcrowding, inadequate food, lack of clean drinking water, denial of medication, and extreme indoor temperatures

Relatives and advocates say cells built for 50 people now hold nearly twice that number, with detainees allegedly forced to drink from sinks or toilets while enduring inhumane conditions

Photos by Jose Mejia