Trump to Visit Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump will tour a controversial immigration detention center deep in Florida’s Everglades, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The remote facility has sparked protests over environmental harm and immigrant treatment. Critics call the move a political stunt.
Trump Florida Detention Visit Quick Looks
- Trump visits new immigration detention center in Florida Everglades
- Facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” for remote, hostile location
- Site can hold up to 5,000 detainees near Miami
- Critics slam environmental risks and harsh message to immigrants
- Native American leaders oppose site on sacred land
- Facility promoted as escape-proof deterrent
- FEMA funding supports construction costs
- Florida GOP fundraising off detention facility’s notoriety
Deep Look
Trump To Tour Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Immigration Facility Amid Outcry Over Harsh Tactics And Environmental Risks
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to visit Florida’s Everglades on Tuesday, where he’ll inspect a newly constructed immigration detention facility built in one of America’s most remote and environmentally sensitive areas — a site his administration hopes will send a stark warning to migrants worldwide.
The center sits on an isolated airstrip roughly 50 miles west of Miami, deep in the Everglades swamp. Designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees, the facility has ignited fierce criticism from environmentalists, immigrant rights advocates, and Native American leaders who say the land is sacred and the plan is cruel.
Alligators As A Deterrent
A major selling point, according to the White House, is the center’s forbidding location, encircled by swamps teeming with alligators, mosquitoes, and invasive pythons. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration believes this signals a strong deterrent against unlawful immigration.
Informally known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” the center’s nickname underscores both its isolation and Trump’s tough stance on immigration.
“There’s only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight,” Leavitt said. “It is isolated and it is surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain.”
A Continuation Of Trump’s Hardline Policies
Immigration crackdowns have long been a signature feature of Trump’s political identity. During his first term, he famously denied reports suggesting he wanted to build a moat filled with alligators along the southern border, insisting, “I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough.”
Now in his second term, Trump has floated ideas like reopening the infamous Alcatraz island prison and placing detainees in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, or even a megaprison in El Salvador. His administration sees the Everglades detention facility as a similarly potent symbol.
“A detention center surrounded by alligators — yes, I do think that’s a deterrent for them to try to escape,” Leavitt said.
Political Firestorm Erupts
Not everyone is convinced of the wisdom — or humanity — of the plan. Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, now a Democrat running for Florida governor, condemned the Everglades facility as a “callous political stunt.”
Environmental advocates have raised alarms about potential damage to one of America’s most delicate ecosystems, while Native American groups argue that construction violates sacred land.
Still, Trump’s allies remain undeterred. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, described by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as the architect of the Everglades plan, rolled out the proposal with a flashy video featuring red-eyed alligators and pounding rock music.
Funding And Political Gains
State officials are leading construction, though much of the funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — an agency usually focused on hurricanes and natural disasters. The financial involvement of FEMA has drawn scrutiny from critics who question using disaster funds for immigration enforcement infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Florida Republican Party has seized the project as a fundraising opportunity, selling branded T-shirts and drink koozies adorned with the detention center’s fierce imagery.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, hinted Monday that the facility could be operational in time for Trump’s visit. He confirmed the site has received Department of Homeland Security approval, which recently shared an image of cartoon alligators wearing ICE hats against a backdrop of barbed wire fencing.
“They ain’t going anywhere once they’re there, unless you want them to go somewhere, because good luck getting to civilization,” DeSantis said. “So the security is amazing.”
Facility’s Purpose And Process
The Everglades detention center will house immigrants detained for reasons ranging from crossing the border illegally to overstaying visas. Many detainees are either awaiting deportation or fighting their removal cases in immigration court.
Immigrants accused or convicted of violent crimes are held in state or federal criminal facilities and only transferred to ICE custody after completing criminal sentences.
Trump’s visit underscores how immigration remains a central — and highly polarizing — issue for his administration. Whether the “Alligator Alcatraz” becomes a symbol of effective deterrence or a lightning rod for controversy may depend on how the public responds to images of a detention center surrounded by swamp creatures in the depths of the Everglades.
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