Sacred Land, Strong Voices: Indigenous Youth Confront ICE’s Threat to Big Cypress

Big Cypress, FL — June 30, 2025

More than fifty years ago, environmental and Indigenous activists stopped a mega-airport from devastating the Florida Everglades. Now, the same patch of swamp is under threat again—this time, as the potential site of an ICE detention center.

Tomorrow morning, Miccosukee and Seminole youth will gather at the abandoned Everglades Jetport runway to demand the land remain protected and to denounce plans to cage migrants on sacred, ecologically critical ground.

A Runway Built on Hubris

In the 1960s, Florida officials dreamed of the Everglades Jetport—a futuristic hub for supersonic jets. Developers carved a massive runway deep into Big Cypress Swamp, an ecosystem vital to feeding the Everglades’ waters.

That dream nearly became an ecological catastrophe. Scientists and activists exposed how the jetport would disrupt water flow, destroy wildlife habitat, and jeopardize the survival of species like the Florida panther. Public backlash stopped further construction.

Only one runway was ever finished. In 1974, Congress established Big Cypress National Preserve—the nation’s first National Preserve—to protect the area’s fragile wetlands.

A Dangerous Déjà Vu

Despite its protected status, the old jetport site remains a magnet for bad ideas. Federal agencies have recently floated proposals to repurpose the runway and surrounding lands into a sprawling immigration detention and deportation complex operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The rationale? The site’s isolation and existing infrastructure. But critics say that’s precisely what makes the plan so dangerous—for both the ecosystem and human rights.

Environmental, Economic, and Human Rights at Stake

Environmental scientists warn that building a detention center there would:

• Severely disrupt the region’s delicate water flow.

• Pollute wetlands with sewage, chemicals, and increased human activity.

• Threaten endangered species like the Florida panther, wood stork, and snail kite.

• Undermine decades of conservation work and federal protections.

Big Cypress and the broader Everglades generate billions of dollars annually through tourism, fishing, and ecosystem services like flood control. Damaging these wetlands could devastate local economies and communities who depend on a healthy environment.

Meanwhile, Indigenous leaders highlight the spiritual and historical significance of the land. For the Miccosukee and Seminole Nations, Big Cypress is not just a swamp but an ancestral home and living heritage.

Human rights advocates also warn that placing an ICE facility in such a remote location would isolate detained migrants from legal assistance, medical care, and public oversight. With ICE detention already under scrutiny for human rights abuses statewide, many see this proposal as repeating cycles of injustice.

Alligator Alcatraz and Statewide Resistance

The protest also connects to broader movements challenging Florida’s immigrant detention system. Advocates link the proposed jetport facility to conditions at places like Glades County Detention Center—known by some as “Alligator Alcatraz”—where detained immigrants have reported abuse, medical neglect, and poor living conditions.

Youth organizers say the message is clear: the same land once saved from environmental destruction should not become a prison for vulnerable people seeking safety and freedom.

Tomorrow’s Demonstration

Miccosukee and Seminole youth, along with environmental, immigrant justice, and Indigenous organizations, will hold a peaceful protest at the jetport runway tomorrow. They’re calling for:

• Immediate cancellation of any ICE development plans at the site.

• Comprehensive environmental assessments for any future proposals.

• Permanent protection of the jetport lands as part of Big Cypress National Preserve.

Call to Action

ICE does not belong ANYWHERE in Florida. We stand in solidarity with ALL affected by Alligator Alcatraz.

Peaceful Protest happening tomorrow, TUESDAY 10am-2pm.

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ICE no pertenece a NINGÚN lugar en Florida. Nos solidarizamos con TODXS lxs afectadxs por Alcatraz del Cocodrilo.

Protesta pacífica mañana, MARTES de 10am a 2pm.

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ICE pa dwe okenn kote nan Florid. Nou kanpe an solidarite ak TOUT moun ki afekte pa Alcatraz Kay Kawòjla.

Manifestasyon pasifik ap fèt demen, MADI soti 10am pou rive 2pm.