OCHOPEE, Fla.According to the state attorney general, the first batch of immigrants was expected to arrive Wednesday night in a new detention facility deep within the Florida Everglades that authorities have named Alligator Alcatraz.
On the social media site X, Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier stated, “Tonight, Alligator Alcatraz will be checking in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens.” “Next stop: returning to their starting point.
The exact arrival time and origin of the inmates were not immediately apparent. According to officials, buses were being used to transport them to the facility.
When fully operational, the prison at a training airport will house roughly 3,000 detainees, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis stated. Over ten miles (16 kilometers) of Everglades, the facility was constructed in eight days. It has 400 security guards, more than 200 surveillance cameras, and more than 28,000 feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire.
Native American tribes and environmental organizations have demonstrated against the center, claiming it is on land that the tribes revere, would be inhumane to detainees due to heat and insects, and poses a harm to the delicate Everglades system.
Additionally, it is situated in an area that experiences heavy rains frequently, which resulted in some flooding in the tents on Tuesday during President Donald Trump’s visit to commemorate its opening. According to state officials, contractors worked overnight to shore up portions that saw water, and the complex is capable of withstanding a Category 2 hurricane, which has winds of 96 to 110 mph (154-177 kph).
According to DeSantis and other state officials, the facility’s location in the untamed and isolated Florida Everglades is intended to serve as a deterrent, and the fact that it is named after the infamous federal prison of Alcatraz—an island stronghold noted for its harsh conditions—is intended to send a message. This is just one more indication that the Trump administration and its supporters are using scare tactics to attempt to get those who are in the country illegally to leave on their own volition.
On social media and conservative radio, state and federal representatives have promoted the plans by posting a meme depicting a barbed-wire-ringed enclave manned by alligators wearing caps bearing the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) logo. In order to raise money, the Republican Party of Florida has started selling beer koozies and branded T-shirts bearing the name of the detention facility.
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Anderson reported from Florida’s St. Petersburg.
