Are we fighters? Or folders?
No airports. No rock mines. No prisons. Only Everglades.
By now we've all heard about this appalling 5,000-person deportation prison — the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" — being hastily and recklessly assembled in the Everglades by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Let us speak plainly:
Housing 5,000 people in the Everglades is an asinine idea that will cause catastrophic damage to the River of Grass and ultimately Florida Bay.
As globally acclaimed Everglades photographer Clyde Butcher said:
"When someone says we are going to put 5,000 people in the middle of the Everglades and says there will be no impact, they’re crazy."
The Everglades — a protected UNESCO World Heritage site — is a fragile ecosystem that we have fought to restore for decades! The very survival of Florida Bay depends on fresh water filtering through the Everglades.
The waters that flow through the River of Grass are also the key economic engine for all of south Florida, generating $31.5 billion for our local economies each year, according to a Miami Herald report just last week! Every hotel, restaurant, dive shop, bait shop, boat yard, charter operation, etc. depends on a healthy and pristine Florida Bay and Everglades.
Now, the State of Florida is embarking on massive operation that will traumatize our waters and endanger our local economy.
Folks, we must fight back. Here are three easy steps every Floridian can take to make our voices heard:
#1 Write to the Governor & Attorney General.
Over 25,000 folks have already signed onto this letter from Friends of the Everglades reminding Gov. DeSantis and A.G. Uthmeier that "more than 50 years ago, Floridians rallied to stop the Everglades Jetport, protecting a vital stretch of wilderness from destructive development. Today, that same land is under threat again...
#2 Hold our south Florida politicians accountable.
Every two years politicians promise us they will protect our waters. Well, now is exactly when we need them to speak up!
State Rep. Jim Mooney brags about "protecting water quality and our environment"... State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguezwants to protect "precious under water ecosystems for future generations"... and, Congressman Carlos Gimenezrecently vowed to "protect our cherished River of Grass."
So far, these three have been silent.
We need to call them and demand their rhetoric match their actions. Demand they speak out against the Everglades prison!
CALL REP. MOONEY: (305) 315-0780
CALL SEN. RODRIGUEZ: (305) 407-2552
CORRECTION: Sen. Rodriguez’s listed phone number is incorrect. So, let’s try email: rodriguez.anamaria.web@flsenate.gov
CALL REP. GIMENEZ: (305) 222-0160
#3 Support the Friends of the Everglades law suit.
On June 27, 2025, Friends of the Everglades and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Miami-Dade County regarding a reckless plan for a massive detention center in the heart of the Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz”... — Friends of the Everglades
... The defendants, in their rush to build the center, have unlawfully bypassed the required environmental reviews... The direct and indirect harm to nearby wetlands, wildlife and air and water quality, and feasible alternatives to the action, must be considered under NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] before acting... — Fox News
Someone told me recently that in these turbulent political times there are two types of politicians — those who choose to fight... and those who choose to fold.
We choose to fight. Our campaign was about guarding against overdevelopment and protecting our water — and that's what we will continue to do.
And, as a backcountry fishing guide, I know how fragile the Florida Bay and the Everglades ecosystems are to dangerous runoff and contaminants. Just ten years ago a massive seagrass die-off in Florida Bay almost cratered our entire tourism-driven economy.
We know you will choose to fight too. Thank you for helping us apply pressure against this ludicrous and dangerous proposal!
Once again, it's #NowOrNeverglades.
Stay vigilant — Capt. Steve Friedman
PHOTO CREDIT: Clyde Butcher
