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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Richard Luscombe

The protesters showing up every week to shut down ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: ‘We will end this’

a person holds a sign that reads 'the whole world is watching'
Protesters demand the closure of the immigrant detention center known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in Ochopee, Florida, on 22 July 2025. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

They come on buses, in cars and RVs. Some ride on motorcycles. Every Sunday afternoon, convoys of protesters from all over Florida, and others from out of state, descend on the notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail in the Everglades to stand vigil for those held inside.

It is a ritual that began in August, a month after the opening of the remote detention camp celebrated by Donald Trump for its harsh conditions, and hailed by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, as a model for the president’s aggressive detention and deportation agenda.

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