Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Announces Intent to Pursue Permanent Protection of County-Owned Land Used for "Alligator Alcatraz" for Everglades Restoration

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava today announced the Administration’s intent to pursue the sale and transfer of all County-controlled lands at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT) to the National Park Service and other authorized Everglades restoration partners for permanent conservation following the eventual decommissioning of the immigration detention facility currently operating at the site. 

In a memorandum to the Board of County Commissioners, Mayor Levine Cava notified the Board that the Administration will evaluate and identify the appropriate legal process for the sale and transfer of the property for incorporation into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), one of the nation’s largest environmental restoration efforts. 

"From the very beginning, I have raised serious concerns about the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility because people have been held there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process, while occupying land alongside one of the world’s most precious natural ecosystems," said Mayor Levine Cava. "Once this facility is decommissioned, we have an opportunity to permanently protect these lands for Everglades restoration and ensure they remain protected for generations to come. That is the legacy we should leave."

Following a comprehensive review, the Administration determined the TNT facility no longer represents the best long-term use of the property. The facility’s remote location, limited aviation utility, significant maintenance obligations, and increasingly constrained compatibility with surrounding conservation lands have reduced its long-term strategic value as an aviation asset.  

For decades, Miami-Dade County has been a committed partner in Everglades restoration through the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), and numerous regional initiatives designed to restore natural water flows, improve water quality, reconnect habitat corridors, and strengthen the ecological integrity of the Greater Everglades ecosystem.  

As part of the County’s ongoing efforts to ensure environmental oversight, the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) recently attempted to conduct an on-site inspection of the property but was unable to access the site due to an ongoing security sweep.  

The Administration intends to work with the County Attorney’s Office, federal and state agencies, Tribal governments, environmental restoration partners, and other stakeholders to identify the most appropriate legal mechanism for transferring the property. Potential options include conservation easements, deed restrictions, intergovernmental agreements, land exchanges, or fee-simple conveyance. The Administration will conduct the necessary legal, environmental, operational, and financial analyses before returning to the Board of County Commissioners with recommendations regarding any actions requiring Board approval.