Florida Launches First Deportation Flights from Everglades Detention Center

This week marked the initiation of deportation flights from Florida’s newly established immigration detention center situated in the Everglades, Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Friday. This development comes roughly three weeks after detainees began arriving at what is believed to be the country’s sole state-managed migrant detention site.

During a press briefing, the governor disclosed that several flights transporting "hundreds" of federal immigration detainees have departed from the facility, which Florida officials have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” He confirmed that these flights are operated by the Department of Homeland Security but withheld information regarding their destinations.

The detention center consists primarily of a collection of rapidly assembled tents and trailers located on an old airfield. According to DeSantis, the site is outfitted with ground-to-air communication systems, radar technology, and runway lighting. Additionally, the facility maintains a supply of 5,000 gallons of jet fuel on site.

“This airport is equipped to handle commercial aircraft and can operate during both daytime and nighttime hours,” the governor stated.

Environmental advocacy groups have filed lawsuits seeking to stop the construction of the detention center, citing concerns about its proximity to protected lands. Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, dismissed these environmental apprehensions during the press conference, asserting that the site—an old training airport—once accommodated "over a hundred flights a day," a claim that has yet to be independently verified.

The state is utilizing the former airfield, which is owned by Miami-Dade County, under emergency powers. On Friday, Miami-Dade’s mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, reiterated her demand for state officials to brief county representatives and grant them oversight access to the detention center.

In a letter to Mr. Guthrie, Mayor Levine Cava wrote, “The county was not formally informed prior to the development and deployment of this facility, and repeated requests for transparency have been ignored or rejected. Our community deserves full accountability for operations occurring on county-owned land.”

Florida officials expedited construction of the center last month, justifying the remote, swampy location partly by highlighting the ability to launch deportation flights directly from the site.

“The runway is 11,000 feet long, enabling large aircraft to operate in and out, capable of transporting hundreds of individuals,” stated James Uthmeier, Florida’s Republican attorney general, during a June 25 interview.

While state officials have asserted that detainees held at the facility have final deportation orders issued by the federal government, immigration attorneys report limited access to their clients at the site. The American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a lawsuit concerning detainees’ restricted access to legal counsel and alleged violations of due process rights.

“The U.S. Constitution does not permit the government to detain individuals without allowing them to communicate with legal counsel or petition the courts for release,” stated Eunice Cho, senior counsel with the ACLU’s National Prison Project and lead attorney on the case.

On Friday, Kevin Guthrie indicated that lawyer visits to the detention center are expected to commence Monday, noting that earlier delays were caused by technological issues.

Governor DeSantis revealed that the Everglades detention center currently accommodates “a couple thousand” detainees, with plans to expand capacity to approximately 4,000. He also reaffirmed intentions to establish a second detention facility in North Florida if the current center reaches full capacity.

The administration has proposed deputizing Judge Advocate General Corps officers from the Florida National Guard to serve as immigration judges at the Everglades site, aiming to expedite deportation proceedings. However, DeSantis noted that federal approval for this measure has not yet been granted.

Florida has also initiated a pilot program encouraging unauthorized immigrants to voluntarily self-deport, according to Larry Keefe, executive director of a new state board overseeing immigration policy. This board includes Governor DeSantis, Attorney General Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

Keefe clarified that Florida’s self-deportation program, developed in cooperation with Customs and Border Protection, is separate from a federal initiative that provides unauthorized immigrants with a $1,000 cash incentive and airfare to their home countries.