MAITLAND, Fl. (July 14, 2025) — The Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida is deeply disturbed by the use of the phrase “Alligator Auschwitz” to describe the immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. This metaphor not only trivializes the horrors of Auschwitz but also distorts the historical reality of the Holocaust and undermines the lived experiences of those who endured the horrors of the Nazi concentration camp system.

Auschwitz is not a rhetorical device. It is not a catch-all term for injustice or cruelty. It is the site of the systematic murder of over one million people, a place where dehumanization reached its most extreme and industrialized form. Comparing any modern issue to Nazi concentration camps, however urgent or troubling, draws false equivalencies in both scale and intent. Even when such comparisons are made with sincerity, they divert attention away from meaningful dialogue and reduce Holocaust memory to a political tool.

At the same time, Holocaust memory compels us to speak out against injustice. Dehumanization was central to the Holocaust. Jews and other targeted groups were portrayed as less than human, denied their rights, and subjected to systematic violence. This history teaches us that injustice begins when people are reduced to stereotypes, labeled threats, and stripped of their dignity and due process.

To remember the Holocaust is to stay alert to those warning signs. It is to recognize the humanity of all people and respond with moral clarity when vulnerable communities are targeted. Each of us has a role to play in that response. Whether through challenging cruel language, demanding humane treatment for all individuals, or choosing compassion and respect in our daily lives, we all have the power to act.

We must also recognize the fragility of democracy, which depends on the active participation of its citizens. Individuals can take meaningful steps by engaging their government officials, asking for evidence behind public claims, attending community meetings, supporting accountability for due process, and voting. These everyday acts help safeguard the principles that are essential to a democratic society.

Holocaust memory is not just a warning from the past; it is a call to responsibility in the present. We urge our community to honor that memory not through misused analogies, but through thoughtful and informed action that upholds dignity, justice, and the humanity of all people.