Inside Trump’s Alligator Alcatraz: Florida Immigration Center Tour/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump visited Florida’s controversial Everglades detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” meant to deter illegal immigration with its remote, swampy location. Built in just eight days, the facility will initially hold 3,000 migrants and aims to expedite deportations through on-site court proceedings. Environmentalists, Native Americans, and immigrant advocates condemn the center as inhumane and environmentally harmful, fueling protests and lawsuits.
Quick Look
- Facility Name: “Alligator Alcatraz,” Florida Everglades
- Capacity: Starts at 3,000 beds, expandable to 5,000
- Purpose: Accelerate detention and deportation under Trump’s agenda
- Controversy: Environmental harm, indigenous land concerns, human rights protests
- Cost: Estimated $450 million annually, reimbursed by FEMA
- Future Plans: Additional site planned near Jacksonville
- Unique Detail: Surrounded by swamps and alligators as “natural security”
- Political Angle: GOP model for nationwide immigration enforcement expansion
Trump Tours New Florida Everglades Immigration Center: Key Facts to Know
Deep Look
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump toured Florida’s newly built immigration detention center deep in the Everglades on Tuesday, touting it as a national model for ramping up deportations as part of his immigration crackdown.
Constructed in just eight days on a remote airstrip, the center can initially hold 3,000 migrants, expandable to 5,000. It’s been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by officials, a nod to its swampy, alligator-filled surroundings, intended both as a deterrent and as political theater.
“This is an amazing thing that they’ve done here,” Trump said during his visit, calling the surrounding treacherous terrain “bodyguards in the form of alligators.”
Here’s what to know about the controversial new facility:
A Facility Built in Days
Erected by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, the compound consists of heavy-duty tents, trailers, and temporary buildings. Rows of bunk beds sit behind chain-link fencing topped with barbed wire.
The $450 million annual cost will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a U.S. official said.
Inside, detainees will have medical care, 24-hour air conditioning, recreational areas, and access to legal and spiritual support.
The site is part of Trump’s push to double the federal immigration detention capacity to over 100,000 beds.
A Remote Location as a Deterrent
The center sits roughly 45 miles west of Miami in the Big Cypress National Preserve, surrounded by swamps teeming with mosquitoes, snakes, and alligators.
Republican officials believe its isolation and harsh environment will dissuade migrants from crossing illegally — and encourage those detained to voluntarily return to their home countries.
“You don’t always have land so beautiful and so secure,” Trump said. “You have a lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops that are in the form of alligators. You don’t have to pay them so much.”
A “One-Stop Shop”
Florida plans to speed up deportations by deputizing National Guard members as temporary immigration judges to clear backlogs in the overwhelmed court system.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the model: “I hope my phone rings off the hook from governors calling and saying, ‘How can we do what Florida just did?’”
More Detention Centers Planned
DeSantis announced another makeshift detention facility at Camp Blanding, southwest of Jacksonville. The new site could hold up to 2,000 migrants and is slated for construction after the July 4 holiday.
This comes despite state data showing more than 7,500 vacant beds in existing county jails that could be leased for immigration detention.
Emergency Powers Spark Criticism
Florida seized the airstrip land under emergency powers granted by an executive order DeSantis issued during the Biden administration, labeling illegal immigration a state crisis.
Critics call this an abuse of emergency authority.
But a DeSantis spokesperson said Florida “will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.”
Protests and Legal Challenges
The facility has drawn hundreds of demonstrators, including immigrant rights groups, environmental advocates, and Native American communities who call the Everglades sacred land.
Fifteen Miccosukee and Seminole villages remain in the Big Cypress National Preserve, home to burial and ceremonial sites.
Environmental groups filed suit Friday to halt the project, citing potential harm to the fragile ecosystem.
The Bottom Line: Trump’s Everglades detention center embodies his hardline immigration policy—and is emerging as a flashpoint in debates over civil rights, environmental protection, and the future of U.S. immigration enforcement.
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