Target: Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida
Goal: Do not proceed with plans for large-scale immigrant detention center in state’s swamplands.
“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland.” The President of the United States spent a day holding court in the middle of the Everglades, where a miles-wide, controversial “detainment facility” for undocumented immigrants has been built. The president, the Secretary of the Department of the Homeland Security, and the Florida governor seemed to take great glee in touting the alligators, pythons, and other potentially deadly wildlife surrounding the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Weaponizing wildlife as a deterrent against human beings brings up a whole host of human rights issues, as does throwing individuals into tents that provide no defense against soaring temperatures and raging storms, including hurricanes. But the abuses do not end with the people forced into this prison-like environment.
That “treacherous swampland” of which the president spoke houses delicate ecosystems teeming with diverse life. These fragile systems could be upended by the facility’s development. An airfield that once occupied the land was abandoned for that very reason. The drinking water of both wildlife and eight million people also stands at risk, especially if a severe storm hits and sewage is unleashed. And to add insult to injury, the facility sits on lands considered sacred by local indigenous tribes.
Sign the petition below to speak out against this pricy publicity stunt that is coming on the backs of exploited living beings, both human and animal.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor DeSantis,
For the low price tag of half a billion dollars a year, taxpayers are being treated to a swampland spectacle that imperils the water supplies of eight million Florida citizens, tramples indigenous sacred lands, puts endangered ecosystems at imminent risk, and uses and abuses thousands of human beings for a few cheap photo ops and sound bytes. If the detention facility located in the Florida Everglades was intended as a serious pursuit, guards would not be taking the place of judges for “immigration proceedings.” Real concerns about the weather, climate, and environmental impacts of such an undertaking would not be summarily dismissed. And the people in charge would not be more preoccupied with coining a catchy nickname than addressing said concerns.
End this exploitative spectacle on the taxpayers’ very expensive dime. And get back to the hard work of common-sense, humane reforms that do not fly in the face of every true American value.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sut6777
