Amid a swirl of political theater, fierce opposition, and vocal support, Florida officially opened its new migrant detention and deportation facility Tuesday at a near-defunct airport deep in the Everglades. Nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the center is already the subject of federal lawsuits, national headlines, and growing ideological debate.
“This is an environmentally destructive and spiritually poisonous prison camp,” said protestor Zac Cosner, one of a group of demonstrators outside the facility gates.
Inside, however, it was a very different scene — with former President Donald Trump, Governor Ron DeSantis, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and an entourage of Republican officials and conservative influencers celebrating the opening in a spectacle that, at times, resembled a political rally more than a government event.
WATCH: 'Alligator Alcatraz' Opens in Florida amid protests, praise, and legal threats
“I just want everyone to know that there's official ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ merch here,” joked conservative influencer Benny Johnson on social media. “It is provided to us by the state of Florida.”
Trump, who hosted a roundtable at the event, praised the facility’s harsh environment and its intended purpose.
“It's known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside and it's not a place I want to go hiking any time soon,” said the president. “But very soon this facility will have some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”
Touring the temporary structure, Trump quipped, “Biden wanted me in here. Okay, he wanted it, didn’t work out that way…”
Facility Specs and Process
With a maximum capacity of 3,000 detainees, the state/federal-run facility includes 1,000 staff, 28,000 feet of barbed wire, and more than 400 security personnel. It also offers legal services, clergy access, laundry, and 24/7 air conditioning.
Governor DeSantis emphasized that detainees have a chance to leave voluntarily.
“Even if they get brought to the front doorstep here, they still have an opportunity to just go back voluntarily,” he said.
When asked how quickly that happens, Secretary Noem responded: “We will put them on a plane that day and buy their ticket and go home, and then they get the chance to come back legally.”
Legal and Environmental Backlash
Despite assurances, the facility’s future is already in legal limbo. Environmental groups have filed for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, arguing that the government bypassed critical impact studies and public comment processes.
“It’s pretty clear here that more thought was put into a cutesy name for this project than the significant environmental impacts of dropping a massive detention center in the middle of the Everglades,” said Elise Bennett of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Immigration attorneys also voiced concerns that detainees will lack adequate legal protections.
“Right now, the most frustrating thing is to watch immigrants be used as a pawn in this very unfair game, that is just gutting the American legal system and due process, as we know it,” said Renata Castro, a Florida-based immigration lawyer.
Who’s Paying and What’s Next?
Florida sounds to be footing the bill for now — with estimates topping $450 million — but Gov. DeSantis says the federal government will reimburse the state. Either way, taxpayers are funding the project.
As for public sentiment, the issue is complicated. Trump won big on immigration in the last election, but recent polling suggests that advantage may be eroding. Recent Ipsos and Quinnipiac polls, released in the last two weeks, show his immigration approval now underwater.
Despite that, DeSantis and Trump say they’re simply delivering on promises.
“This is a great location for this,” said Trump supporter Bob Kunst. “We have a million illegals in Florida.”
The first migrants are expected to arrive Wednesday — unless a federal judge rules otherwise.
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