President Obama, visiting the southern border in 2011, joked that Republicans were so hard-core they would demand to use alligators to deter illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made that a reality. Here’s what you need to know about the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility:
The facility unveiling
Former political rivals unite for detention center launch:
- Trump and DeSantis officially unveiled “Alligator Alcatraz”
- State-built facility located in Florida’s famed Alligator Alley
- Will provide ICE with thousands of additional beds
- Built to detain and deport illegal immigrants
The rapid construction
Florida completed facility in record time:
- DeSantis said tent facility was built in just eight days
- Can start taking migrants as soon as ICE can send them
- Erected on property of Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport
- Deportees can be quickly put on planes and sent out
The on-site legal proceedings
DeSantis proposes expedited deportation process:
- Wants federal government to deputize state National Guard lawyers
- Lawyers would serve as immigration judges on site
- Would hear cases and issue deportation rulings at facility
- Trump gave him OK on the spot for the proposal
The security specifications
Facility includes extensive protective measures:
- 28,000 feet of barbed wire installed
- 200 security cameras monitoring facility
- 400 security personnel staffing location
- Full-blast air conditioning to combat Florida heat and humidity
The natural barriers
Everglades location provides additional security:
- Airport lies in middle of U.S. Highway 41
- Road spans bottom of state from Miami to Naples
- Remote location surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland
- Everglades provides natural security boundary according to backers
Trump’s alligator jokes
President quips about escape scenarios:
- “We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator, OK, if they escape from prison”
- “Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this” while making zig-zag motion
- “You know what? Their chances go up about 1%”
- Called detention business “not a nice business”
The political reconciliation
Former 2024 primary rivals praise each other:
- DeSantis challenged Trump for GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination before dropping out
- “You’ll always be my friend” Trump told DeSantis
- “We have blood that seems to match pretty well” according to Trump
- DeSantis heaped praise on president, who delivered it right back
The funding arrangement
State pays upfront, expects federal reimbursement:
- Florida built facility with state money
- State expects to be reimbursed by federal government
- DeSantis wants Florida as leading state in deportation assistance
- Governor wondered why other Republican governors aren’t following
The Democratic opposition
Florida congressman condemns facility concept:
- “Anyone who supports this is a disgusting excuse for a human being, let alone a public servant”
- Rep. Maxwell Frost, Florida Democrat, made statement
- Trump’s opponents have bristled at entire concept
- Some suggest “Gator Gitmo” as alternative nickname
The ICE capacity crisis
Detention space represents major deportation bottleneck:
- Space is major bottleneck for ICE deportation efforts
- Particularly affects people arrested in interior
- Cases take far longer than average border cases
- ICE officials say they can deport migrants if detained
The current detention numbers
Agency holding record numbers in custody:
- ICE reported holding 56,397 people in detention as of mid-June
- About 14,400 were border arrests
- About 39,300 were ICE arrests from interior
- Record-high levels for the agency
The environmental lawsuit
Groups challenge facility’s ecological impact:
- Environmental groups filed lawsuit over critical habitat concerns
- Say facility would disrupt endangered and threatened species
- Groups demand environmental assessment before proceeding
- Florida argues law applies to federal government, not state
Read more:
• Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis open Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz to hold 5,000 illegal immigrants
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
