A federal appeals court lifted an injunction that ordered Florida to dismantle its “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta ruled against environmentalism groups and the Miccosukee…
Lisbon to Auschwitz to Alligator Alcatraz: Cruelty and the human face of evil
There are few things more characteristic of the Trump regime than cruelty, often gratuitous cruelty. It is the human face of evil in one of its most repellent forms. Susan Nieman, in her masterful work Evil In Modern Thought: An…
A different court says Alligator Alcatraz can stay open
The Trump administration may resume using Florida’s secluded “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center while litigation against the facility proceeds, a federal appeals court ruled 2-1. The Sept. 4 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit paused a…
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ appears headed for closure
The Trump administration is removing immigrants from Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center after a federal judge ordered operations downsized by late October. The Department of Homeland Security announced the move after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ Aug. 21 order prohibiting…
Split decision in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ case
A federal judge handed down a split decision Aug. 18 in a lawsuit brought by detainees at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz.” Plaintiffs in the action filed against the Trump administration and the state of Florida last month claiming their Fifth Amendment…
Environmentalists win temporary pause at Alligator Alcatraz
A federal court in Miami has ordered Florida to temporarily pause construction of the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center. And ICE is now hiring “patriotic Americans” as young as 18. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled Aug. 7 the state…
Retired pastor invites community to advocate for immigrants
Retired United Methodist pastor Jerry Eckert knows a lot about advocating for folks who may not have someone to stand up for their rights. Eckert was a co-founder of a volunteer group, Associates in Advocacy, that provides advocates — usually…
Swamp bait: The forgotten horror of feeding Black babies to alligators
In the depths of the Florida Everglades, a place teeming with mosquitoes, swamps and predatory reptiles, the U.S. government has endorsed what many human rights activists now call Alligator Alcatraz — a sprawling 39-square-mile detention facility for immigrants surrounded not…
Alligator Alcatraz tourism
My wife, Lauren, told me a story once. When she was 16, her mother put her on a plane to Europe. She gave her a peck on the cheek, a few words of encouragement and a credit card. “Have fun,”…