‘We’ll teach them how to run away from alligators’: Trump visits ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention centre

The facility, which has been nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is already drawing criticism from immigrant rights groups, environmentalists, and local residents. Built quickly on a remote airstrip using trailers and tents, the centre could begin holding migrants in the coming days. The location is roughly 80 km west of Miami and surrounded by protected swampland.

Trump’s visit comes as his administration speeds up preparations for mass deportations. (AP)

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who joined Trump on the tour, the centre will soon be ready to hold 3,000 detainees. Earlier reports had suggested it could house up to 5,000.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the site sends a strong message to migrants. “There’s only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight,” she said. “It’s isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain.”

Trump’s visit comes as his administration speeds up preparations for mass deportations. The Everglades facility is one of several new centres being built to increase detention capacity. During his first term, in 2019,  Trump denied claims that he had suggested digging a moat with alligators at the southern border. Now, his administration is openly using the Everglades’ harsh environment to send a message.

Some of Trump’s past ideas  such as reopening Alcatraz or using Guantánamo Bay to detain immigrants  were too expensive or impractical. But the Everglades facility, state officials say, was completed quickly and at lower cost.

Trump’s past ideas  such as reopening Alcatraz or using Guantánamo Bay to detain immigrants  were too expensive or impractical. (AP)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told the Associated Press that Florida built it faster and more cheaply than private contractors. “It was a real solution that we’ll be able to use if we need to,” she said.

Not everyone agrees. Protesters gathered outside the site during Trump’s visit, including Native American leaders who say the land is sacred. Others raised concerns about detaining migrants in a remote, wildlife-heavy area.

“I have a lot of immigrants I’ve worked with,” said Phyllis Andrews, a retired teacher. “They are fine people. They do not deserve to be incarcerated here.”

The Florida Republican Party has used the project to raise funds, selling merchandise with slogans about the centre. Images shared by the Department of Homeland Security even featured cartoon alligators wearing ICE hats.

Governor DeSantis told reporters,  “They ain’t going anywhere once they’re there… The security is amazing.”