Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz', US migrant detention centre surrounded by deadly animals
Florida has commenced construction of a remote migrant detention centre in the heart of the Everglades, informally dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The project is part of the Trump administration's aggressive expansion of detention infrastructure to enforce its immigration crackdown, The New York Times reported.
Built on an abandoned airfield and surrounded by alligators and pythons, the facility is expected to cost the state around $450 million annually. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a close ally of President Donald Trump, described the project in a video posted on X.
Alligator Alcatraz: the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump's mass deportation agenda. pic.twitter.com/96um2IXE7U
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) June 19, 2025
'People [detained migrants] get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,' Uthmeier is heard saying in the video. Uthmeier added, 'It presents an efficient, low-cost opportunity… because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter.'
The massive facility, primarily composed of tents, is set to offer up to 5,000 additional beds. Uthmeier said that identifying isolated areas for new detention centers was a directive from Florida's governor. 'Florida's been leading on immigration enforcement,' he said. 'The governor tasked state leaders to identify places for new temporary detention facilities. I think this is the best one.'
Construction at the 'Alligator Alcatraz' officially began Monday morning, according to a spokesperson for the attorney general.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said the state intends to seek partial reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to manage the facility's high operating costs.
According to the NYT report, the FEMA money will be drawn from a fund that was created during the Biden administration to pay organisations and local jurisdictions that help house migrants going through the immigration court system in the US.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, '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.'
During his first term, Trump floated ideas like filling moats along the US-Mexico border with snakes and alligators to deter migrants. Since returning to office, his administration has already relocated detainees to Guantánamo Bay and a mega-prison in El Salvador.
Currently, the number of detained migrants under the Trump administration has surged to roughly 55,000, up from about 40,000 during the final months of President Biden's tenure.
Despite the administration's urgency, local officials have raised concerns over 'Alligator Alcatraz'. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed apprehension in a letter, quoted by the NYT, to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. 'There has not been sufficient time to fully discuss these matters, and we thank you for your attention to these concerns given the rapid pace of the state's effort,' she wrote.
Despite backlash, Uthmeier remains steadfast. 'I'm proud to help support President Trump and Secretary Noem in their mission to fix our illegal immigration problem once and for all,' he stated. 'Alligator Alcatraz and other Florida facilities will do just that.'
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