President Donald Trump on Tuesday toured a newly constructed immigration detention facility in the heart of the Florida Everglades, promoting it as a prototype for how states can scale up enforcement and deportation efforts. Republican leaders praised the site as a bold step in supporting Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Trump was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and a group of federal and state officials as they walked through the compound, which was rapidly built by Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration. Completed in just over a week, the center is ready to begin holding migrants starting Wednesday. The facility currently has capacity for 3,000 detainees and can be expanded to hold up to 5,000. “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump said. “This is an amazing thing that they’ve done here.”
Nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” by Florida officials, the site sits on a remote stretch of land roughly 45 miles west of Miami, enveloped by mosquito-infested swamps home to alligators and invasive pythons.
Construction crews assembled the compound in just eight days using tents, trailers, and temporary buildings. Florida is initially footing the estimated $450 million annual cost, which officials say will be reimbursed by FEMA. The setup reflects Florida’s effort to become a central player in implementing Trump’s immigration policy.
Inside the complex, detainees will sleep in bunks arranged in fenced-off sections. Authorities say the center will provide continuous air conditioning, medical services, outdoor recreation, legal counsel, and religious support. While the facility is temporary, it plays a key role in Trump’s plan to increase detention capacity from 41,000 to over 100,000.
Its isolated location is also intended to discourage unlawful entry into the country. Trump joked about the site’s natural fortifications, saying, “You don’t always have land so beautiful and so secure. 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.”
Backers of the initiative say the compound is a smart, efficient response to a national challenge, while critics view it as an unregulated prison camp hastily built under emergency powers. Still, officials insist it’s a vital piece of the enforcement strategy.
To help speed legal proceedings, DeSantis is proposing that members of the Florida National Guard be sworn in as immigration judges to hear cases onsite, aiming to relieve pressure from an already overloaded court system. “I would ask every other governor to do the exact same thing,” said Noem. “This is unique because we can hold individuals here. They can have their hearings, to get due process and then immediately be flown back home to their home countries.” She added, “I hope my phone rings off the hook from governors calling and saying, ‘How can we do what Florida just did?’”
DeSantis announced that Florida is already preparing another detention facility at Camp Blanding, a National Guard base southwest of Jacksonville. That location is expected to accommodate 2,000 more beds, with construction set to begin after July 4.
Despite the significant investment, some have pointed out that the state already has space available. A report shared with the Associated Press revealed that as of late March, Florida had over 7,500 unused beds in county jails that could have been allocated for immigration detention.
Using emergency authority from a previous executive order issued during President Joe Biden’s term, DeSantis bypassed regulatory obstacles to seize land and begin construction. Critics argue this use of power amounts to a legal overreach.
But state officials argue the urgency justifies the approach. Trump’s deportation campaign has pushed federal detention levels past 56,000 in June—the highest since 2019. “Governor DeSantis has insisted that the state of Florida, under his leadership, will facilitate the federal government in enforcing immigration law,” said a spokesperson for the governor. “Florida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.”
Protests have erupted at the airfield, drawing a mix of immigration activists, environmental groups, and Native American communities. Demonstrators have gathered near the site, calling attention to the detention center’s environmental and cultural consequences.
Located within Big Cypress National Preserve, the airstrip is near sacred sites and villages belonging to the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. As construction continued through Shabbos, protesters waved signs, and drivers honked in solidarity.
Concerns over ecological damage have prompted environmental groups including the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades to file a lawsuit last week aimed at stopping the project from moving forward.
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