JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – President Donald Trump is expected to attend the formal opening Tuesday of a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed on Monday.
The facility has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
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The detention center was established by DeSantis’ administration on a little-used airstrip in Miami-Dade County. Using emergency powers focused on immigration, DeSantis seized the land to build housing for undocumented migrants.
In a press conference, DeSantis explained the rationale behind the facility, saying the state responded to requests from the Department of Homeland Security for additional detention space.
He described the site as a secure location with a large runway suitable for processing and deporting migrants efficiently.
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“We put out a plan about a month ago to stand up a makeshift detention space quickly around Florida,” DeSantis said.
He emphasized the logistical advantages of the site, noting detainees would be processed on location and could be flown out directly from the airstrip.
DeSantis also discussed plans to use National Guard members as immigration judges to expedite hearings and deportation orders.
“This is potentially a force multiplier,” he said, adding that the goal is to increase removals and reduce illegal immigration.
The facility, designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees, was created in roughly one week under the direction of state Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The first detainees are expected to arrive on July 1.
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The Department of Homeland Security has approved the facility and indicated it may reimburse Florida for some operational costs, estimated at $450 million annually.
Former Congressman David Jolly, who recently announced his candidacy for governor as a Democrat, condemned the detention center as a “callous political stunt.”
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“Florida’s most pressing challenge is the housing affordability crisis created by Republican leaders, not immigrants working to support our state’s economy,” Jolly said in a statement.
He pledged that as governor, he would rescind DeSantis’ emergency order, return control of the airfield to Miami-Dade County, protect the Everglades and Miccosukee ancestral lands, and support immigrants pursuing the American dream.
“As Governor, I will fight crime, not communities. Governor DeSantis knows that violent crime rates among native born communities exceed that of immigrant communities. This is an ugly political stunt,” Jolly added.
News4Jax reached out to the Attorney General’s office for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The facility has drawn protests over its potential impact on the delicate ecosystem and criticism that Trump is trying to send a cruel message to immigrants. Some Native American leaders have also opposed construction, saying the land is sacred.
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Clay County is also among the sites being considered for an ICE detention facility.
