In the heart of the Miccosukee, the Native American tribe that shut down Alligator Alcatraz

"There are people on the side of the road selling T-shirts that say Alligator Alcatraz. And then other people come into the store thinking it's okay, saying hello, being friendly. They have a huge disconnect from what this all means to us. The Everglades [the vast swamp ecosystem west of Miami] is meant for our tribes, to protect life, to safeguard it. Not to stop it, Sanders says."

"The Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center, already notorious for the terrible conditions in which detainees are held, was erected in just eight days at the end of June, just over 12 miles from the Miccosukee people along the Tamiami Trail, the only road connecting Miami, on the east coast, with Tampa, on the west, crossing right through the heart of the Everglades."

"So in mid-July, the Miccosukee joined a lawsuit filed by environmental groups against national and local governments alleging that the center would cause irreparable damage to the fragile wetland ecosystem that is their home. They have lived there for hundreds of years and have a connection with that wet, unforgiving land that transcends idiosyncrasy; it is a primal, vital, and sacred attachment."

"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis assured last Friday that he will defend the continued existence of the detention center despite a judge's order to close it. We got news last night that we had a judge try to upset the apple cart with respect to our deportation and detainee processing center down in South Florida, he said at a press conference, calling the magistrate an activist judge that is trying to do policy from the bench."

Tourists wearing Alligator Alcatraz T-shirts anger Miccosukee tribal members who see the facility and merchandise as a profound disconnect from tribal values. The Everglades serve as a vital, sacred landscape for the Miccosukee, intended to protect and sustain life. The Alligator Alcatraz detention center was built in eight days at the end of June, located just over 12 miles from Miccosukee lands along the Tamiami Trail. The Miccosukee joined environmental groups in a mid-July lawsuit alleging irreparable damage to the fragile wetland ecosystem. A federal judge ordered dismantling within 60 days, while Governor DeSantis vowed to defend the center.

Read at english.elpais.com