The Black Lives Matter movement arose in response to the high rate of police brutality against the black community. It expanded to address systemic racism in education, healthcare, and housing, sparking the largest mass protest movement in the nation's history. However, some white people disapproved of this slogan and participated in a counter-campaign, one that sought to distract from constructive discourse on racism. They chanted, wore shirts, and made signs that read "All Lives Matter," words that in a vacuum would be benign, but when spoken in response to "Black Lives Matter," they became a white nationalist slogan—a way of throwing a stone and hiding their hand. Unfortunately, efforts to distort the slogan have continued, as seen when far-right activist Laura Loomer said, "Alligator Lives Matter." Her statement suggests some are unwilling to acknowledge its original meaning.
In the Florida Everglades, the federal government recently finished construction of a new immigration detention center that will house up to 5,000 immigrants awaiting deportation. It's no coincidence that officials selected this 39-square-mile abandoned airstrip, surrounded by swamplands, where many alligators, snakes, and wildlife live. Their goal was to use the natural dangers of the surrounding environment to deter immigrants from trying to escape. This detention center, referred to by some as "Alligator Alcatraz," has sparked public outcry. Some have argued it's cruel to threaten the safety of immigrants in this way, to allude to alligators being used as informal guard dogs. Others claimed the swift construction of the site demonstrates the government's capacity to do more to address social problems, such as homelessness. However, it's also true that not everyone saw this as a problem. Indeed, some cheered the announcement of this new detention center.
The image of metal fencing surrounding crowded beds, restrooms, and showers is indistinguishable from a makeshift prison or concentration camp. To make matters worse, the administration plans to fill the detention center during hurricane season, despite the region's propensity for severe flooding. Yet, the White House shared an animated photo of alligators wearing "ICE" hats, seemingly making light of the purported threat toward immigrants of color. This was distasteful, but Loomer seemingly took the celebration of the detention center even further than the administration carrying out mass deportations. She posted, "Alligator Lives Matter," and suggested the completion of the center was "good news" because "alligators are guaranteed at least 65 million meals." This statement was offensive on a few levels. For one, suggesting that the federal government would feed immigrants to alligators is abhorrent, and those across the political spectrum should concede this point. Secondly, it was ironic that those on the far-right refuse to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter, yet tease that alligators' lives do. It suggests they understand the concept that Black people have been expressing all these years, but would rather make a mockery of its meaning than engage in earnest.
Ironically, if the current administration truly cared about people, alligators, and other wildlife, they'd realize how perilous it could be to use this strip of land. Tribal chairman, Talbert Cypress, noted that some of their villages are very close, within 900 feet of the entrance to the new facility. An environmental impact study published in 1974 stated that "putting any airstrip in the area was going to have a significant impact on the Everglades." And yet, the federal government has failed to conduct a modern-day study detailing the environmental impact before building the facility. Also, they failed to consult with Native Americans in the area to consider the impact on their communities. Overall, the decision to build this migrant detention center and the rhetoric surrounding its construction and completion are concerning.
While Trump claimed the new facility in the Florida Everglades would be used to hold "some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet," we've seen ICE officials go after hard-working people who are valued, respected members of their community. One report suggested 71.7% of ICE detainees had no criminal record. Some worried Loomer's statement promotes ethnic cleansing and goes far beyond the administration's purported goal of limiting what they call "illegal immigration." Indeed, the number, "65 million," mirrors the entire Hispanic population within the United States, not just those who crossed the border seeking asylum, or those without legal status. Of course, this would include citizens. This suggests that for some on the far right, their objectives extend beyond national security interests. In pursuing a widespread removal of some citizens, Loomer's comment reaffirmed white nationalist goals of deporting as many immigrants of color as possible, regardless of their status.
I saw also many alligators, great and small, lying in the water, or on pieces of floodwood. — Solomon Northup (1808)
The tactics employed in crafting an immigrant detention center in the Everglades are reminiscent of the chattel slavery era. Indeed, the excerpt above, written by Solomon Northup, brings that parallel into focus. To pursue his freedom, he had to navigate swamp lands where alligators, water moccasins, and other creatures presented a constant danger. There was also a tradition during the Jim Crow era of treating some Black infants as alligator bait. Thus, the notion of White people using alligators as a presumptive weapon against those they seek to control isn't new. It is, however, disturbing, given our nation's history, that we haven't fully evolved beyond the type of nation that would employ terror as a policy.
Opening a detention center in the Everglades poses a safety threat. Indeed, reports suggest that the facility has already flooded, less than two days after federal officials announced it was open and ready to receive detainees. Videos show dark-brown, muddy waters rising and reaching the beds of wood-be detainees. The only thing clear is the danger of this plan. Regardless of your opinion on immigration policies, we should be able to agree that it's unsanitary to have immigrants standing or potentially drowning confined to cells in swampy waters. The federal government has acknowledged that there are many alligators in the surrounding area. When paired with the flooding, this would make it challenging for detainees to be transported in or out of the compound, or for essential resources such as food, water, and medical supplies to be brought to the facility.
Sadly, in their rush to prove "Alligator Alcatraz" is viable, the administration seems to have overlooked valid safety concerns associated with this mass-deportation plan. But there are lessons we should learn from our history. During Hurricane Katrina, a severe storm that made landfall in August of 2005, nearly 600 inmates were abandoned in their cells in the New Orleans Parish Prison compound. As the waters rose, they had no way to protect themselves. As Dan Bright, an inmate, told Human Rights Watch, "They left us to die there." To have 5,000 immigrants trapped in a detention center in the Florida Everglades would be to overlook the lessons the past provides. If we don't heed those warnings, our nation risks making the same errors in judgment. Loomer's statement reveals a hypocrisy, that while some on the far-right find it funny to suggest Alligator Lives Matter, they have yet to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter.
Also, the irony shouldn't be lost on readers that in the months leading up to the election, President Trump and others parroted misinformation suggesting that Haitian immigrants were eating people's pets. Stereotyping them as barbaric was an effort to diminish care or concern for policies that could harm them. Yet, when we consider the cruel policies carried out since the administration came back into office, such as stripping the group of temporary protective status, separating families, and proposing sending immigrants to a detention center surrounded by alligator-infested swamplands, it's clear our nation's leaders are the ones who are engaged in a strange, brutal practice. The Black Lives Matter slogan evoked pushback from those who couldn't bring themselves to utter those words. Ironically, they're willing to use that same pattern to mock the original meaning, providing a not-so-subtle reminder that they'll say any group or animal's life matters more than Black people.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Allison Gaines' work on Medium.