DeSantis administration blindsides officials by seizing land for detention center
- Local officials were unaware of plans for the detention facility until after construction had begun.
- The state used emergency powers to seize land owned by Miami-Dade County for the center.
- The rapid construction and lack of communication led to frustration among local leaders.
In June 2023, amidst growing issues regarding illegal immigration, Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans to build an immigration detention center in the Everglades. Local officials in Collier County were left uninformed about the facility until state officials had already started construction. The Florida Division of Emergency Management, under the authority granted by an executive order on illegal immigration, seized land owned by Miami-Dade County without prior notification to Collier County leaders. The airstrip, known as the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, was chosen for its remoteness, with plans to discourage unauthorized border crossings through its symbolic name, "Alligator Alcatraz." By late June, local officials were scrambling to gather information and expressed their frustration at the lack of communication from the state regarding the facility. The rapid pace of the project's development shocked county officials, as they dealt with a flurry of inquiries from media and constituents, uncertain about the legal ramifications of the center being built in their jurisdiction. Official notifications reached local leaders just days before the state's official inauguration of the facility, in which federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, participated. This situation underscored a significant breach of communication between state and local governments, highlighting the challenges of coordinated responses to immigration issues in Florida and revealing the tensions that can arise when swift government action occurs without adequate local engagement.