The Trump administration is funding a project in Florida that seeks to turn an airfield in the Everglades — surrounded by swamp water and alligators — into a massive migrant detention facility.
Florida GOP Attorney General James Uthmeier, who dubbed the project “Alligator Alcatraz,” proposed the idea earlier in June, suggesting that the location would be perfect because detainees would have virtually nowhere to escape. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem confirmed in a public statement that the facility would be funded, at least in large part, by FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.(RELATED: Judge Really, Really Wants To Release Dems’ Favorite Suspected Human Smuggler)
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed to deliver cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” Noem said Monday night on X. “We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.”
Contrasting the change in policy since the last administration, Noem said that the Biden White House used these FEMA funds to pay for illegal migrant housing at posh accommodations like the Roosevelt Hotel, which sheltered Laken Riley’s killer and other migrant gang members.
TOPSHOT – A airboat is seen hovering over Everglades wetland in Everglades wetlands in Everglades National Park, Florida on September 30, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
A spokesman for Uthmeier directed the Daily Caller News Foundation to a social media post the he made Monday night, confirming the cooperation between his office and DHS.
“I’m proud to help support President Trump and Secretary Noem in their mission to fix our illegal immigration problem once and for all,” Uthmeier said. “Alligator Alcatraz and other Florida facilities will do just that. We in Florida will fight alongside this administration to keep Florida safe, strong, and free.”
At a cost of around $450 million a year, the facility will feature 5,000 beds to house illegal migrants and other foreign nationals under federal immigration detention, according to the New York Times. Construction of Alligator Alcatraz, which will be composed of large tents and other facilities, began Monday.
“People get out. There’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” Uthmeier previously said about the proposal.
Unlike other states that have repeatedly passed legislation barring cooperation between local authorities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Florida has leaned into helping its federal law enforcement partners. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis previously banned sanctuary cities in Florida and has signed other legislation into law helping immigration enforcement efforts.
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