Trump to Visit Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Migrant Camp Amid Fierce Debate
- Olga Nesterova
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
President Donald Trump is set to visit Florida on Tuesday for the official opening of a controversial new immigration detention facility in the heart of the Everglades, popularly dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the visit Monday, calling the facility a tough new tool in the Trump campaign’s promised mass deportation drive.
“We have the president of the United States coming down tomorrow to tout what Florida has done,” DeSantis said at a press conference, adding that the camp would be “open for business” by the time of Trump’s visit.
The detention center, built under an emergency order, occupies a 30-square-mile swath of swampy former airport land in Miami-Dade County. The site has been outfitted with heavy-duty tents to house up to 5,000 people awaiting deportation.
State officials highlight its “natural” security: dense Everglades marshes filled with alligators and pythons. “Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there are a lot of alligators you're going to have to contend with,” DeSantis said. “No one's going anywhere once you do that. It's as safe and secure as can be.”
Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended the facility Monday, describing it as “isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife,” and touting it as an “efficient and low cost” solution for mass deportations.
“The only way out is a one-way flight,” Leavitt said, calling it key to what she described as the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. She also pointed to the proposed OBBB legislation as a way to authorize construction of additional similar camps.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likewise endorsed the project, saying it is meant to house “some of the worst scumbags” who crossed the border illegally during the Biden administration.
“Alligator Alcatraz, and other facilities like it, will give us the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who entered our country under the previous administration,” Noem posted to X on Friday. “I will continue to stand alongside our officers as they protect and defend our homeland. Make America Safe.”
Meanwhile, the project has faced fierce pushback. Environmentalists and immigrant advocates staged protests along Highway 41 on Saturday, with signs reading “No Alligator Alcatraz” and “Another stupid plan to abuse people & the Everglades.”
A coalition of environmental groups also filed a last-minute lawsuit Friday against federal and state agencies, arguing the facility threatens the delicate Everglades ecosystem.
Aerial photos show the detention camp taking shape at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, with heavy-duty generators and tent structures erected amid the swampy terrain.
Despite the backlash, DeSantis remains unapologetic.
“The state of Florida is all in on President Trump’s mission,” he said during a Fox & Friends tour of the facility on Friday. “There needs to be more ability to intake, process and deport.”
Trump’s visit is expected to further galvanize both supporters of his immigration crackdown and opponents who see “Alligator Alcatraz” as an emblem of inhumane and ecologically reckless policy.
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