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CTV News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump will visit a remote immigration detention site in the Florida Everglades
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is making a day trip to Florida's Everglades on Tuesday for a firsthand look at a new immigration detention facility that the White House suggests will be especially secure given that it is 'surrounded by alligators.' The detention facility is on an isolated airstrip about 50 miles (80 kilometres) west of Miami and could house 5,000 detainees. It's drawn protests over the potential impact on a delicate ecosystem and criticism that Trump is trying to send a cruel message to immigrants — while some Native American leaders have also opposed construction, saying the land is sacred. But a key selling point for the Trump administration is the site's remoteness, and the fact that it is in swampland filled with mosquitoes, pythons and alligators. The White House hopes that conveys a message to the detainees being housed there and the world at large that repercussions will be severe if the immigration laws of the United States are not followed. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that the center is 'informally known as Alligator Alcatraz,' a moniker that has alarmed immigrant activists but appeals to the president's aggressive approach to deportations. 'There's only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight,' Leavitt said. 'It is isolated and it is surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain.' Crackdowns on the border and harsh immigration policies have long been a centerpiece of Trump's political brand. During his first term in 2019, Trump denied reports that he floated the idea of building a moat filled with alligators at the U.S.-Mexico border. 'I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough,' he said at the time. In his second term, Trump has suggested that his administration could move to reopen Alcatraz, the notorious and hard-to-reach island prison off San Francisco. And Leavitt said the new Florida detention center's inhospitable location — and dangerous nearby fauna — were pluses. 'A detention center surrounded by alligators, yes, I do think that's a deterrent for them to try to escape,' she said. Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly of Florida, a former Republican who is now running for governor as a Democrat, called the facility a 'callous political stunt.' The White House has similarly promoted the political shock value of sending some immigrants awaiting deportation from the U.S. to a detention lockup in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and others to a megaprison in El Salvador. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees are in detention facilities for immigration reasons, like entering the country illegally or overstaying a visa. They are either waiting for ICE to put them on the next flight or bus ride home or are fighting their removal in immigration court. If an immigrant is accused of or has committed a violent crime, he or she is tried and held in state or federal criminal jurisdiction, separate from the immigration system. In those cases, they may be transferred to ICE for deportation after completing their criminal sentences. State officials are spearheading construction of the Florida facility, but much of the cost is being covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is best known for responding to hurricanes and other natural disasters. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whom U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has credited as the architect of the Everglades plan, first debuted the proposal with a slickly produced video, complete with custom graphics featuring red-eyed alligators and backed by a hard rock soundtrack. The Florida Republican Party has fundraised off the facility, selling branded T-shirts and beverage container sleeves. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Monday that the facility could be open and 'ready for business' by the time Trump arrives. DeSantis said the site has obtained approval from the Department of Homeland Security, which posted an image of alligators wearing ICE hats and sitting in front of a fenced-in compound ringed with barbed wire. The governor, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has also played up the fact that the site will be hard to escape from. 'They ain't going anywhere once they're there, unless you want them to go somewhere, because good luck getting to civilization,' DeSantis said. 'So the security is amazing.' Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. Will Weissert And Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump to visit new Florida immigration detention facility
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Washington. The Washington Monument is seen in background. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump will visit a new immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades on Tuesday, showcasing his border crackdown in the face of humanitarian and environmental concerns. The trip was confirmed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday. 'When the president comes tomorrow, he's going to be able to see,' DeSantis told reporters. He added that 'I think by tomorrow, it'll be ready for business.' The governor, who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination last year, said he spoke with Trump over the weekend. He also said the site obtained approval from the Department of Homeland Security. 'What'll happen is you bring bring people in there,' DeSantis said during an unrelated press conference in Wildwood. 'They ain't going anywhere once they're there, unless you want them to go somewhere, because good luck getting to civilization. So the security is amazing.' The facility has drawn protests over its potential impact on the delicate ecosystem and criticism that Trump is trying to send a cruel message to immigrants. Some Native American leaders have also opposed construction, saying the land is sacred. The detention facility is being built on an isolated airstrip about 50 miles west of Miami, and it could house 5,000 detainees. The surrounding swampland is filled with mosquitos, pythons and alligators. 'There's really nowhere to go. If you're housed there, if you're detained there, there's no way in, no way out,' Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told conservative media commentator Benny Johnson. He's described the facility as 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a moniker embraced by the Trump administration. DHS posted an image of alligators wearing hats with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's acronym. State officials in Florida are spearheading construction but much of the cost is being covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which is best known for responding to hurricanes and other natural disasters. Chris Megerian and Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Washington Post
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Native leaders blast construction of Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' on land they call sacred
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is racing ahead with construction of a makeshift immigration detention facility at an airstrip in the Everglades over the opposition of Native American leaders who consider the area their sacred ancestral homelands. A string of portable generators and dump trucks loaded with fill dirt streamed into the site on Thursday, according to activist Jessica Namath, who witnessed the activity. The state is plowing ahead with building a compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers and other temporary buildings at the county-owned airfield located in the Big Cypress National Preserve, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami.
