USA Trump Unveils Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility in Florida Everglades

[Social Media]

 

Trump Unveils Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility in Florida Everglades

 

President Donald Trump has toured a newly constructed migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, which his administration has dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The facility, designed to detain around 3,000 undocumented migrants, is the latest and most controversial element of Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

 

 

During his visit, Trump claimed the center would soon house “the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.” The surrounding wilderness, teeming with alligators, crocodiles, and pythons, is expected to act as a natural barrier to prevent escapes. “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump said during the tour. “I wouldn’t want to run through the Everglades for long,” he added, warning that escapees would face “a lot of cops in the form of alligators.”

 

 

Despite the fanfare from the administration, the project has attracted sharp criticism from environmental groups, local residents, and lawmakers who worry about the ecological impact. “I have serious concerns about the environmental damage,” said Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Native American community, as she gestured to a nearby canal where an alligator swam. The Everglades, home to endangered species such as the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee, have long been the focus of multibillion-dollar restoration efforts.

 

Elise Pautler Bennett, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, argued that political motives fast-tracked the project. “Any other project that would have been proposed in the Everglades would have gone through an intense environmental approval process. I'm convinced this one didn’t get that because it’s a political stunt,” she said.

 

 

Trump toured various parts of the compound, including a medical facility and a large, air-conditioned tent divided into cage-like enclosures. The structure, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport about 36 miles from Miami, sits in an ecologically significant subtropical wetland.

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accompanied Trump and told reporters he plans to deputize members of the state’s National Guard Judge Advocate Corps as temporary immigration judges. The goal is to expedite deportation proceedings. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also present during the visit, echoed that aim, saying, “They can have their hearings, to get due process and then immediately be flown back home to their home countries.”

 

Trump endorsed the governor’s plan and suggested the facility “could be” a model for others across Republican-led states such as Louisiana, where his administration is seeking new sites. Both Trump and Noem said they believe the Everglades facility will serve as a deterrent, prompting many migrants to leave voluntarily. Noem went so far as to claim that “one million have already done so,” though she admitted that the true figure is unknown due to undocumented departures and incomplete data from migrants’ home countries.

 

The center is expected to cost approximately $450 million annually, largely funded through a Federal Emergency Management Agency program originally designated for temporary shelter and services for undocumented immigrants.

 

Despite administration claims that the facility is temporary, many locals fear otherwise. “It’s going to be permanent,” Osceola warned. Critics worry that this project not only risks environmental degradation but also sets a dangerous precedent for how immigration enforcement is conducted in the U.S.

 

The decision to build this center comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) grapples with record-high detention numbers—currently holding around 59,000 individuals, which is 140% over its official capacity, according to data obtained by CBS News. Like its namesake, the now-defunct Alcatraz prison off San Francisco Bay that Trump has expressed interest in reopening, the Everglades facility is remote, isolated, and intentionally difficult to access.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-07-03

 

 

 

[Yagoda]

Win for America, win for Trump. So much winning.

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Win for America, win for Trump. So much winning.

It's a great idea, the criminals get free food, free accommodation, air conditioning and the guards stopping them escaping are .............

 

[expat_4_life]

"Alligator Alcatraz"  -  I kind of like the name, has historical reference and a bit of zing!!

[Tug]

When does trump start rifting on battery’s and alligators?he he he ….on a side note trump was asked about this twice in the same question and he wandered off about living in Florida…….he was really out there in la la land on that particular response definitely did not get the twice repeated question.

[Emdog]

How about "Gator Gulag".... I wish I had dual citizenship so I could renounce US citizenship.... what that clown and his evil helpers are doing to my country if off the charts

[Cory1848]

1 hour ago, Emdog said:

How about "Gator Gulag".... I wish I had dual citizenship so I could renounce US citizenship.... what that clown and his evil helpers are doing to my country if off the charts

And once this budget bill passes, ICE will have ten times more money to spend on additional gulags and random deportations. With Stephen Miller’s quotas to fill, anyone who even looks like they might speak Spanish will be at risk of getting snatched off the street. What’s most disgusting is how Trump’s millions of fans -- including people posting here -- revel in this gratuitous cruelty; it’s bringing out the worst in human nature. And we’ve seen it all before, with really bad outcomes.

 

If you’re of European heritage, there might be some way to capitalize on that? My parents were both born in Estonia, so a few years ago I was lucky enough to (re)establish my citizenship to that country.

[Woke to Sounds]

It's totally awesome and goes well with Luts and his trade wins last week.

 

One thing I'd suggest is to implement Running Man type collars on the inmates.

 

If the gators don't get em the exploding necklaces will.

[BarraMarra]

What was Trumps last Brain wave ?? oh yes reopening Alcatraz.

[boloaf]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Trump Unveils Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility in Florida Everglades

 

President Donald Trump has toured a newly constructed migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, which his administration has dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The facility, designed to detain around 3,000 undocumented migrants, is the latest and most controversial element of Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

 

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d668/live/5e831d10-528e-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.png.webp

 

During his visit, Trump claimed the center would soon house “the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.” The surrounding wilderness, teeming with alligators, crocodiles, and pythons, is expected to act as a natural barrier to prevent escapes. “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump said during the tour. “I wouldn’t want to run through the Everglades for long,” he added, warning that escapees would face “a lot of cops in the form of alligators.”

 

 

Despite the fanfare from the administration, the project has attracted sharp criticism from environmental groups, local residents, and lawmakers who worry about the ecological impact. “I have serious concerns about the environmental damage,” said Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Native American community, as she gestured to a nearby canal where an alligator swam. The Everglades, home to endangered species such as the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee, have long been the focus of multibillion-dollar restoration efforts.

 

Elise Pautler Bennett, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, argued that political motives fast-tracked the project. “Any other project that would have been proposed in the Everglades would have gone through an intense environmental approval process. I'm convinced this one didn’t get that because it’s a political stunt,” she said.

 

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x576/p0lmkb0g.jpg

 

Trump toured various parts of the compound, including a medical facility and a large, air-conditioned tent divided into cage-like enclosures. The structure, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport about 36 miles from Miami, sits in an ecologically significant subtropical wetland.

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accompanied Trump and told reporters he plans to deputize members of the state’s National Guard Judge Advocate Corps as temporary immigration judges. The goal is to expedite deportation proceedings. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also present during the visit, echoed that aim, saying, “They can have their hearings, to get due process and then immediately be flown back home to their home countries.”

 

Trump endorsed the governor’s plan and suggested the facility “could be” a model for others across Republican-led states such as Louisiana, where his administration is seeking new sites. Both Trump and Noem said they believe the Everglades facility will serve as a deterrent, prompting many migrants to leave voluntarily. Noem went so far as to claim that “one million have already done so,” though she admitted that the true figure is unknown due to undocumented departures and incomplete data from migrants’ home countries.

 

The center is expected to cost approximately $450 million annually, largely funded through a Federal Emergency Management Agency program originally designated for temporary shelter and services for undocumented immigrants.

 

Despite administration claims that the facility is temporary, many locals fear otherwise. “It’s going to be permanent,” Osceola warned. Critics worry that this project not only risks environmental degradation but also sets a dangerous precedent for how immigration enforcement is conducted in the U.S.

 

The decision to build this center comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) grapples with record-high detention numbers—currently holding around 59,000 individuals, which is 140% over its official capacity, according to data obtained by CBS News. Like its namesake, the now-defunct Alcatraz prison off San Francisco Bay that Trump has expressed interest in reopening, the Everglades facility is remote, isolated, and intentionally difficult to access.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-07-03

 

 

 

The moral to the story is: if you don't want to become an inmate of "Alligator Alcatraz", immigrate the legal way.

[JonnyF]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

Despite administration claims that the facility is temporary, many locals fear otherwise. “It’s going to be permanent,” Osceola warned.

 

Let's hope so.

 

It's a brilliant idea. Why make it temporary?