The Department of Homeland Security, currently overseen by Kristi Noem, is facing intense criticism following the release on social media of an AI-generated image intended to promote a controversial immigration detention facility planned for the Florida Everglades. Critics have labeled this facility “Alligator Alcatraz.”
In its weekend post shared on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter), DHS displayed an artificial intelligence-created illustration depicting four alligators wearing hats clearly marked “ICE,” referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stationed near a prison-like fence topped with barbed wire. The post carried the caption, “Coming soon.”
The image drew immediate condemnation from activists, environmental groups, and the broader public, who said the depiction was cruel, dehumanizing, and overtly hostile. The controversy intensified amid remarks made previously by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who cautioned that migrants attempting to flee the proposed facility could face serious threats from local wildlife such as alligators and pythons.
Environmental organizations have already initiated a federal lawsuit aiming to block the project from proceeding until a comprehensive environmental impact review has been conducted.
Social media users swiftly criticized the DHS post, expressing outrage and disgust. One user characterized it as reminiscent of historical atrocities, likening it to concentration camps and calling it “sadism,” while others accused DHS of openly mocking immigrant suffering and trivializing cruelty through cartoons. Critics argued the post symbolized a disturbing descent into inhumane rhetoric toward migrants.
Calls are mounting for the agency and the government to reconsider their approach and address significant concerns raised by human rights groups and environmental activists regarding the planned facility.
