Trump tours Florida immigration lockup and jokes about escapees having to run from alligators
Trump said he'd like to see similar facilities in "really, many states" and raised the prospect of also deporting US citizens. He even endorsed having Florida National Guard forces possibly serve as immigration judges to ensure migrants are ejected from the country even faster.
"Pretty soon, this facility will handle the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet," Trump said of the Florida site known as "Alligator Alcatraz." The president said the moniker is "very appropriate because I looked outside and that's not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon." "The only way out, really, is deportation," Trump added.
Hundreds of protesters converged outside the site − a remote airstrip with tents and trailers. They waved signs calling for the humane treatment of migrants as well as the protection of the expansive preserve that is home to a few Native American tribes and many endangered animal species.
The administration sees the location as a plus
The White House has delighted in the area's remoteness − about 80 kilometers west of Miami − and the fact that it is teeming with pythons and alligators. It hopes to convey a message to detainees and the rest of the world that repercussions will be severe if the immigration laws of the United States are not followed.
Before arriving, Trump even joked of migrants being held there, "We're going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison." "Don't run in a straight line. Run like this," Trump said, as he moved his hand in a zigzag motion. "And you know what? Your chances go up about 1%."
Trump on his tour walked through medical facilities and other parts of the detention center, then held a lengthy roundtable where Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and assorted state and federal officials heaped him with praise.
Authorities originally suggested it could house up to 5,000 detainees upon completion, but DeSantis said it would actually hold around 3,000, with some starting to arrive Wednesday.
The center was built in eight days over 16 kilometers of the Everglades. It features more than 200 security cameras, 8,500 meters of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
21 minutes ago
- France 24
Ukraine appeals for clarity as US says it is halting some weapons shipments
Ukraine appealed to the United States for clarity on Wednesday after it was caught off guard by a White House announcement that Washington was halting some arms shipments to the war-battered country. The Ukrainian defence ministry, which is deeply dependent on US arms, said it had not been notified about the reduction in aid announced one day earlier. Moscow revelled in the decision, saying it could bring the end of the war closer. Any slowdown in US support could harm Kyiv's ability to fend off escalating Russian aerial bombardments or frontline gains. Kyiv has long feared halts to US aid after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, having criticised the tens of billions of dollars in support and weapons sent by his predecessor, Joe Biden. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address that Kyiv and Washington were clarifying details on supplies. "Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defence, for our people is in our common interest," he said. 08:55 Washington's announcement prompted fear among Kyiv residents and warnings from experts that Ukrainian cities would be much more vulnerable to Russian air attacks. The US-made Patriot is now "a critical weapon which is impossible to get from Europe" and which Ukraine cannot substitute for now, said researcher Mykhailo Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, a Kyiv think tank. "Russian missiles will destroy Ukrainian cities" if Kyiv loses the ability to use Patriots, Samus told AFP. "It will be even more scary, even more painful, and even more civilians will suffer," Kyiv resident Yevgenia Prysiazhna told AFP, referring to a increase in overnight drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. "I really hope that this is a temporary decision," the communications manager said. The foreign ministry summoned John Ginkel, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kyiv, in a rare diplomatic move that is usually reserved for foes and rivals, not vital allies, such is the uncertainty about what the cuts would mean for Kyiv. Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defence systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back. The White House had said that it was halting some key weapons shipments promised by the previous US administration, without elaborating. Under Biden, Washington spearheaded Western support for Ukraine, with Congress having approved more than $100 billion in aid, including $43 billion in weaponry. Trump instead has pushed the two sides into peace talks, including in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin – who rejected pleas for a ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine cede more territory if it wants Moscow to halt its invasion, which was launched in 2022. 'Consistent pressure' The US president has refused to announce new aid packages and Kyiv has been corralling Washington's European allies to step up their support. Kyiv remains "seriously dependent" on US arms supplies, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian military told AFP. "Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition," the source added. A May report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that Europe "had only made limited progress" in strengthening its defence industries. But it said that "continued US aid remains extremely important for Ukraine's long-term effectiveness on the battlefield". 02:12 In Moscow, the Kremlin said that reducing weapons deliveries to Kyiv would help end the conflict. "The fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP, using Russia's term for its more than three-year-long offensive. The White House told AFP in an email that the decision to reduce shipments was taken following a "review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries". Kyiv said that it was caught off-guard by the move. The defence ministry said that the country had "not received any official notifications" on the issue. Russia ramped up attacks on Ukraine in June, launching nearly twice as many missiles and over 30 percent more drones than in May, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data. Kyiv was in June subjected to at least four fatal attacks that left more than 40 people dead. Its residents are worried that a cessation of US aid would leave the capital even more vulnerable. "We had gotten used to seeing America as a country of values, a country that defends democracy," Igor Stambol, a Kyiv resident, told AFP. "But there is hope that they will remember their values," the 36-year-old added.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
French foreign minister on Iran's nuclear program: 'It is essential that our security interests be taken into account'
Jean-Noël Barrot, who has served as France's foreign minister since September 2024, discusses the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and the situation in Iran in an interview with Le Monde. With Donald Trump, Europe finds itself a spectator to American military power. Should Europeans resign themselves to fading into the background? Let's stop beating ourselves up! To resolve the Iranian crisis, France and its German and British partners have a very powerful lever. With a simple letter in the mail, we can reimpose on Iran a global embargo on weapons, nuclear equipment, banks and insurance, which was lifted 10 years ago. If Tehran refuses to negotiate a strict and lasting framework for its nuclear activities that guarantees our security interests, we will be able to activate this mechanism over the summer.
Fashion Network
2 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Trump's Vietnam trade deal lifts Nike, Under Armour, Levi Strauss shares
Shares of Nike and other apparel makers rose on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had struck a trade deal with Vietnam that would impose a lower-than-expected tariff rate on many imports from the Southeast Asian country. After months of negotiations, Trump's trade deal with Vietnam includes a 20% tariff on imports from Vietnam, lower than the initial 46% rate he had announced in April. Apparel makers have been diversifying production away from China to Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, as Trump's reciprocal tariffs on imports from these countries proposed in April raised concerns over supply chain costs and higher product prices. 'Investors may be looking at this as a sign that many of the threatened tariffs (on Vietnam and other countries) will be rescinded,' Morningstar Research analyst David Swartz said. The deal also includes a 40% levy on transshipments from third countries. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Vietnam would provide the U.S. with greater market access, with no tariffs on U.S. exports into Vietnam. Nike's shares were up nearly 3.6%, Under Armour rose 2.3%, and Levi Strauss gained 1.6%. Shares in Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch were up less than 1%. According to the company's annual filing, Vietnam manufactured about 50% of the total Nike brand footwear in fiscal 2024. North America is Nike's largest market in terms of revenue. Tariffs could add about $1 billion to its costs, but Nike expects to fully mitigate the impact over time, it said last week. Shares of electronics retailer Best Buy were up marginally. The company had factored in Trump's base tariff rate of 10% in its annual forecast in May. 'The transshipping aspect is an important wrinkle, but I'd expect suppliers will quickly move to adjust supply chains to avoid paying that hefty duty,' said Matthew McCartney, analyst at Wedbush Securities. 'Bigger picture, this deal brings clarity to the industry for a critical consumer electronics hub and eliminates some downside risk to Best Buy's outlook.' The companies — including Nike, Adidas, Puma
