Could Children Be Detained At 'Alligator Alcatraz'? What We Know

Newsweek

3 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A new detention facility being opened in Florida, named Alligator Alcatraz, could hold both adults and minors, according to a draft operational plan obtained by the local news outlet, the Miami Herald.
The temporary detention center, situated at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, received federal approval last week to hold thousands of undocumented immigrants.
Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via email and phoned the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment.
Why It Matters
The remote facility is projected to cost Florida around $450 million each year to operate, according to the Department for Homeland Security (DHS).
Critics have voiced concern over the center's remote location deep in the Everglades, as well as the center's swift implementation—warning about what these factors mean for the treatment of migrants, transparency, and due process.
However, proponents see the project as a cost-effective solution to manage increased immigration enforcement as the Trump administration carries out what it calls the largest mass deportation effort in United States history.
Workers install a sign reading "Alligator Alcatraz" at the entrance to a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida.
Workers install a sign reading "Alligator Alcatraz" at the entrance to a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
What To Know
While not explicitly stating that minors may be housed in the facility, the report allegedly says that "minors shall be separated from unrelated adults at all times during transport and seated in an area near officers and under close supervision" when transported "by land," the Miami Herald reported.
Per the outlet, the report also says, "snacks and water shall be given to minors, pregnant females, and as necessary for detainees with medical conditions" while being transported.
Florida lawmakers have voiced their concern over the possibility, and five were recently denied entry into the facility—state Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, along with Representatives Anna V. Eskamani, Angie Nixon and Michele Rayner.
Following the incident on Tuesday, the lawmakers said in a statement: "This is a blatant abuse of power and an attempt to conceal human rights violations from the public eye. If the facility is unsafe for elected officials to enter, then how can it possibly be safe for those being detained inside?"
President Donald Trump and Republican officials had previously visited the site without an issue.
"I find it hard to believe they have safety concerns for us but no safety concerns for the POTUS when he was here just 2 days ago," Senator Smith said.
The DHS told Newsweek that the temporary facility will be up and running in a matter of days with 500 to 1,000 beds, with a plan to expand capacity in 500-bed increments. By early July, the facility is expected to have 5,000 beds.
The initial structures will be soft-sided temporary units, with the possibility of more permanent buildings constructed later.
To house detainees at the facility, Florida will use old Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers that were previously used during disaster responses—which the DHS said was a "very low-cost option."
The facility will be managed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Florida's declaration of a state of emergency on immigration has allowed the state to mobilize quickly, and National Guard personnel will also assist with detention operations.
What People Are Saying
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on X: "Alligator Alcatraz is a milestone in our effort to help the Trump Administration fulfill its mandate to the American people and restore our nation's sovereignty."
The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement: "Alligator Alcatraz will give us the space and beds needed to detain the WORST OF THE WORST safely. This facility will be a blueprint for detention facilities across the country."
State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith wrote on X: "Legislators have the statutory authority to make unannounced visits to state-run facilities, but the DeSantis regime is REFUSING us entry into 'Alligator Alcatraz'."
What Happens Next
Individuals arrested by Florida law enforcement under the federal 287(g) program will be detained at Alligator Alcatraz, and ICE will have the authority to transfer detainees to Florida's custody under the same program.