Florida Detention Center 'Alligator Alcatraz' Faces Clean Air Act Lawsuit over Diesel Pollution

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit on May 27 in the Southern District of Florida alleging that the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention center in the Everglades is operating more than 200 diesel generators and 100 lighting towers without the required Clean Air Act permit. The complaint claims the equipment emits pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine particulate matter and other toxins that can cause cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease and premature death. It seeks to shut down the generators until a permit is secured and requests civil penalties of up to $124,426 per day per violation.

The detention site, opened in July 2025, sits within the Big Cypress National Preserve and near Miccosukee Tribe villages. It can house up to 3,000 detainees, 1,000 workers and 400 security staff, and its emissions are said to threaten air quality in Everglades National Park. Representatives of the tribe and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost have voiced concern over health impacts on nearby residents and detainees. State officials have not confirmed a closure timeline, though plans to shut the facility in early June have been mentioned.