Trump Opens ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Florida Detention Center to Speed Deportations

U.S. President Donald Trump on 1 July opened a new immigration detention center in Ochopee, Florida, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The compound, built on an abandoned airstrip deep in the Everglades and bordered by alligator-filled wetlands, is designed to house as many as 5,000 undocumented migrants. Federal and state officials said the facility will begin accepting detainees on Wednesday and is meant to accelerate deportation proceedings amid the administration’s broadened crackdown on illegal immigration.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, standing alongside Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said the center was erected in just eight days at an estimated cost of about $450 million. Modular dormitories, medical units and temporary courtrooms have been installed, and National Guard personnel are being tapped to serve as immigration judges capable of issuing removal orders within 24–48 hours. Trump highlighted the site’s isolated location, joking that the surrounding alligators act as guards "you don’t have to pay."

Human-rights advocates and environmental organizations condemned the project, arguing that the rapid hearings risk undermining due-process protections and that construction in the fragile wetland threatens wildlife and violates environmental regulations. Friends of the Everglades and other groups have filed lawsuits challenging the permits, while protesters have rallied across Florida against what they call an inhumane expansion of detention infrastructure.