US President Donald Trump has toured a new migrant detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida, humorously stating that any escapees would be trained to avoid the reptiles to prevent being eaten.
Opponents of Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown have labeled the location in the Everglades as inhumane, but the president leaned into the controversy during its official unveiling.
“A lot of law enforcement in the form of alligators – you don’t need to pay them as much,” Mr. Trump remarked to reporters in Ochopee, Florida.
“I wouldn’t want to be running through the Everglades for too long. It will keep people where they need to be,” he added.
The facility, located on a decommissioned airfield in the Everglades conservation area, is projected to cost around $450 million and accommodate 1,000 individuals, according to Florida authorities.
Inside the migrant detention centre in Ochopee, Florida
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who welcomed Mr. Trump on the tarmac, remarked, “We want to cut through bureaucracy … to expedite the removal of these illegals.”
As he departed the White House earlier, Mr. Trump made comments about the notion of people fleeing from Florida wildlife.
“I suppose that’s the idea,” Mr. Trump told reporters when questioned if the concept of the detention centre was that those who escaped might meet alligators or snakes.
He stated: “This is not a pleasant business. Snakes are quick, but alligators … we’re going to instruct them on how to outrun an alligator, alright?
“If they break out, how to escape. Don’t run in a straight line, zigzag like this and you know what? Your odds improve by around 1%.”
During a press briefing at the detention centre site, the president characterized the surge of undocumented migrants under Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as “disgusting” and inaccurately associated most migrants with “sadistic” criminal organizations.
While officials from the Trump administration frequently emphasize the focus on violent offenders, many migrants without any criminal charges have also been caught in the enforcement sweep.
The moniker “Alligator Alcatraz” alludes to Alcatraz Island, the former prison in San Francisco that Mr. Trump recently suggested he wished to reopen.
That initiative appears to have stalled after officials indicated that the costs and practicality of reopening a prison in shark-infested waters were prohibitive.
Demonstrators have staged protests outside the facility in recent days.
As it aims to appear resolute on immigration issues, the Trump administration is also transferring some undocumented migrants to the former war on terror prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Protesters opposing Mr. Trump’s immigration measures have rallied outside the new Florida center in recent days.
Environmentalists have criticized the establishment of the centre in a conservation area.
The Everglades National Park is particularly recognized as a significant habitat for alligators, with an estimated population of around 200,000.
They can grow up to 4.5 meters in length when fully mature.
Attacks by alligators on humans are relatively uncommon in Florida.
Throughout the entire state, there were 453 “unprovoked bite incidents” from 1948 to 2022, with 26 resulting in human fatalities, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the facility is ‘surrounded by dangerous wildlife.’
However, authorities have emphasized the associated risks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented yesterday that there is “only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight.”
“It is isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain,” she stated.
When asked if the alligators were a “design feature,” Ms. Leavitt replied: “When you have illegal murderers and rapists and heinous criminals in a detention facility surrounded by alligators, yes, I do believe that poses a deterrent for them trying to escape.”
Mr. Trump’s “Alligator Alcatraz” visit coincides with his efforts to push a substantial tax and spending bill through Congress this week.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes funding for Mr. Trump’s immigration initiatives, such as an increase in detention center capacities.
This deportation effort is part of a larger campaign featuring a tough stance on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that ignited protests against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
