Alligator Alcatraz: High Name Recognition, Low Approval Among Florida Voters
In advertising, a catchy name makes all the difference, and so it is with Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s newest and cruelest immigration detention center located on the edge of the Everglades.
A new poll by the Florida Communications and Research Hub found very high name recognition for the migrant center that opened in July, with 89% of respondents saying they were aware of the facility and 45% saying they had heard “a lot” about it.
But about 43% of respondents held a negative view of the center — 35% strongly negative. That compares to 34% who like the project and just 18% who strongly favor it.
Unsurprisingly, Republicans are more likely to approve of the detention center, with about 56% of GOP respondents having a positive view and 32% expressing strong support. About one in five GOP voters holds an unfavorable view.
Also unsurprisingly, 74% of Democrats view the center unfavorably, with 65% strongly disliking it.
About 47% of voters unaffiliated with either party view it unfavorably, compared to 32% who approve.
Predictably, Republicans and Democrats say they have heard different coverage of the facility. About 22% of Republicans say most of what they have heard about Alligator Alcatraz was positive, while 46% said the coverage was mixed. But 65% of Democrats and 43% of unaffiliated voters say the coverage they remember has been mostly negative.
Blue Rose Research surveyed more than 3,200 voters in web panels July 25-27. Pollsters report a 1.7% margin of error in the results.
