In a move that underscores President Trump’s commitment to revamping immigration policy, Florida has initiated the construction of a migrant detention facility known as the ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, approximately 58 km from Miami, this ambitious project aims to detain illegal migrants while facing significant criticism regarding its environmental impact.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the administration’s dedication to carrying out a campaign pledge to escalate deportations of undocumented immigrants: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.” This steadfast approach by Trump echoes the urgency many supporters feel around immigration policy reform.
The facility, which will cost around $450 million annually to operate, has been designed to accommodate as many as 1,000 detainees. Florida’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, touted the location as advantageous, suggesting that its isolation serves as a natural deterrent against escape attempts: “If people get out, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.”
However, the plan has sparked backlash from local lawmakers, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential environmental consequences of constructing a detention center in the Everglades, a region already under threat from climate change and rising sea levels. Cava stated, “The impacts to the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating.”
This detention center is set against the backdrop of a broader national discourse on immigration, where Trump’s policies continue to polarize opinions across the political landscape. As the project progresses, it ignites questions about the balance between securing the borders and preserving sensitive ecological regions.