Latest news with #immigrantDetention
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Is Already Flooding
The monstrous, recently constructed immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, flippantly dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' literally took on water within a day of President Trump visiting the camp Tuesday to commemorate its planned Wednesday opening. Florida officials have assured the public that the facility, which will cost an estimated $450 million per year to operate, was built to withstand a Category 2 hurricane (though the Naples Daily News notes that winds of recent hurricanes in the area have significantly exceeded Category 2 levels). A report by the Miami Herald further casts into doubt official claims about the facility's durability. According to the Herald, 'a garden-variety South Florida summer rainstorm' on Tuesday afternoon—of about an inch-and-a-half of rain—caused flooding in the facility. The Herald reports: 'Rainfall seeped through the edges of the facility as the roofs and walls trembled. Drips leaked from above a door frame. The water spread under poles hoisting the Florida and U.S. flags.' On Wednesday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management told the Herald that contractors, overnight, 'went back and tightened any seams at the base of the structures that allowed water intrusion during the heavy storm,' claiming flooding had been 'minimal.' The news validates growing concerns about the condition of the facility, which was jury-rigged on a site known to be prone to flooding. On Wednesday, two dozen House Democrats, led by Representatives Janelle Bynum of Oregon and Maxwell Frost of Florida, railed against the 'makeshift unsafe, unsanitary, overly crowded, and environmentally destructive' facility in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons. 'Detainees will be kept in tents with inadequate sanitation facilities and will face unbearable living conditions, including exposure to deadly pathogens, constant threats from unpredictable flooding and extreme weather events, and daily temperatures averaging 90 degrees, with a heat index often over 100 degrees Fahrenheit,' the lawmakers wrote. The site, the letter continues, is 'known as being one of the most dangerous and inhospitable environments in the United States. This remote swamp is notorious for oppressive heat, relentless humidity, severe storms, and perilous terrain infested with venomous snakes, disease-carrying insects, and large predatory wildlife, including alligators and crocodiles.' The Trump administration and MAGA more broadly, meanwhile, have relished the cruelty of the facility—which journalist Andrea Prizer, who authored a book on the history of concentration camps, deemed a concentration camp. For example, Trump on Tuesday joked to reporters that detainees will have to be taught to run in a zigzag in order to evade alligators. The assessment from House Democrats, borne out by reports that the facility apparently had trouble withstanding a commonplace rain shower, continues: 'The deliberate placement of vulnerable immigrants into such a hostile and lethal environment is morally reprehensible, inherently cruel, and starkly violates basic humanitarian standards.'
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump visits ‘Alligator Alcatraz' in Florida Everglades
Donald Trump is travelling to Florida to visit his new immigrant detention centre, whichh has been dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz'. Located around 45 miles west of Miami at an isolated airfield in the Everglades national park, the facility takes its nickname for the alligator and cobra-infested swamp that surrounds it. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Mr Trump joked that inmates will be taught 'how to run away from an alligator' in case they escape. 'Don't run in a straight line. Run like this,' he said, performing a zig-zag motion with his hands. 'And you know what, your chances [of survival] go up about one per cent.' The project is the brainchild of James Uthmeier, the Florida Attorney General, and Ron DeSantis, Florida's governor, who deployed emergency powers to erect the compound, made up of heavy-duty tents and trailers, within a matter of days. When it is fully up and running, the remote facility is expected to house up to 5,000 people and cost an estimated $450 million (£328 million) annually. The new site has drawn criticism from Democrats, environmentalists and tribal leaders alike, who have warned of inhumane conditions and threats to the region's wildlife.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two more Ice deaths put US on track for one of deadliest years in immigration detention
The Trump administration is on track to oversee one of the deadliest years for immigrant detention as of late after the recent deaths of two men – one from Cuba and another from Canada – while in federal custody. A 75-year-old Cuban man died last week while being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), CBS News reported, citing a notification sent to Congress. This would mark the 13th death in its facilities during the 2025 fiscal year, which began in October. At least two of those have been classified as suicides. In comparison, Ice reported 12 deaths in the fiscal year 2024. Advocates and immigration attorneys say deteriorating conditions inside an already strained detention system are contributing to the rise in deaths, which has unfolded as the administration aggressively ramps up efforts to deport millions of migrants. Under the past three administrations, the worst year saw 12 deaths in Ice custody. If the current pace continues, the total for 2025 could double those numbers. Critics say the system is collapsing under the pressure of Ice's target of detaining about 3,000 people each day. As of mid-June, more than 56,000 migrants were being held – that is 140% of the agency's stated capacity. 'These are the worst conditions I have seen in my 20-year career,' Paul Chavez, litigation and advocacy director at Americans for Immigrant Justice, told the New York Times. 'Conditions were never great, but this is horrendous.' Among the recent fatalities are 49-year-old Johnny Noviello, a Canadian who was found unresponsive on 23 June at a detention facility in Miami. Another is Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, who died on 7 June while in Ice custody in Atlanta. Molina-Veya, from Mexico, was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck, according to officials. His death remains under investigation. In response to Noviello's death, the Canadian government has pressed US authorities for more information. 'The government of Canada was notified of the death of a Canadian citizen while in custody in the United States. Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials. I offer my sincere condolences to the family,' Anita Anand, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, wrote on X. Despite the high death toll, immigration enforcement remains a top funding priority for the Trump administration. Border and immigration enforcement have been making up two-thirds of federal law enforcement spending. Under Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill', the US would commit $350bn to national security, including for the president's mass deportation agenda.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Two more Ice deaths put US on track for one of deadliest years in immigration detention
The Trump administration is on track to oversee one of the deadliest years for immigrant detention as of late after the recent deaths of two men – one from Cuba and another from Canada – while in federal custody. A 75-year-old Cuban man died last week while being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), CBS News reported, citing a notification sent to Congress. This would mark the 13th death in its facilities during the 2025 fiscal year, which began in October. At least two of those have been classified as suicides. In comparison, Ice reported 12 deaths in the fiscal year 2024. Advocates and immigration attorneys say deteriorating conditions inside an already strained detention system are contributing to the rise in deaths, which has unfolded as the administration aggressively ramps up efforts to deport millions of migrants. Under the past three administrations, the worst year saw 12 deaths in Ice custody. If the current pace continues, the total for 2025 could double those numbers. Critics say the system is collapsing under the pressure of Ice's target of detaining about 3,000 people each day. As of mid-June, more than 56,000 migrants were being held – that is 140% of the agency's stated capacity. 'These are the worst conditions I have seen in my 20-year career,' Paul Chavez, litigation and advocacy director at Americans for Immigrant Justice, told the New York Times. 'Conditions were never great, but this is horrendous.' Among the recent fatalities are 49-year-old Johnny Noviello, a Canadian who was found unresponsive on 23 June at a detention facility in Miami. Another is Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, who died on 7 June while in Ice custody in Atlanta. Molina-Veya, from Mexico, was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck, according to officials. His death remains under investigation. In response to Noviello's death, the Canadian government has pressed US authorities for more information. 'The government of Canada was notified of the death of a Canadian citizen while in custody in the United States. Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials. I offer my sincere condolences to the family,' Anita Anand, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, wrote on X. Despite the high death toll, immigration enforcement remains a top funding priority for the Trump administration. Border and immigration enforcement have been making up two-thirds of federal law enforcement spending. Under Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill', the US would commit $350bn to national security, including for the president's mass deportation agenda.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Two more Ice deaths put US on track for one of deadliest years in immigration detention
The Trump administration is on track to oversee one of the deadliest years for immigrant detention as of late after the recent deaths of two men – one from Cuba and another from Canada – while in federal custody. A 75-year-old Cuban man died last week while being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), CBS News reported, citing a notification sent to Congress. This would mark the 13th death in its facilities during the 2025 fiscal year, which began in October. At least two of those have been classified as suicides. In comparison, Ice reported 12 deaths in the fiscal year 2024. Advocates and immigration attorneys say deteriorating conditions inside an already strained detention system are contributing to the rise in deaths, which has unfolded as the administration aggressively ramps up efforts to deport millions of migrants. Under the past three administrations, the worst year saw 12 deaths in Ice custody. If the current pace continues, the total for 2025 could double those numbers. Critics say the system is collapsing under the pressure of Ice's target of detaining about 3,000 people each day. As of mid-June, more than 56,000 migrants were being held – that is 140% of the agency's stated capacity. 'These are the worst conditions I have seen in my 20-year career,' Paul Chavez, litigation and advocacy director at Americans for Immigrant Justice, told the New York Times. 'Conditions were never great, but this is horrendous.' Among the recent fatalities are 49-year-old Johnny Noviello, a Canadian who was found unresponsive on 23 June at a detention facility in Miami. Another is Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, who died on 7 June while in Ice custody in Atlanta. Molina-Veya, from Mexico, was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck, according to officials. His death remains under investigation. In response to Noviello's death, the Canadian government has pressed US authorities for more information. 'The government of Canada was notified of the death of a Canadian citizen while in custody in the United States. Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials. I offer my sincere condolences to the family,' Anita Anand, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, wrote on X. Despite the high death toll, immigration enforcement remains a top funding priority for the Trump administration. Border and immigration enforcement have been making up two-thirds of federal law enforcement spending. Under Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill', the US would commit $350bn to national security, including for the president's mass deportation agenda.
