Trump admin offers $608M for states to build migrant camps modeled after ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
The money, announced through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) new Detention Support Grant Program (DEP), is aimed at helping states build or enlarge temporary detention facilities modeled after Florida's Everglades compound known as "Alligator Alcatraz," according to FEMA documents.
"[Department of Homeland Security] Secretary Kristi Noem has been very clear that Alligator Alcatraz can be a blueprint for other states and local governments to assist with detention," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday.
The funding is part of FEMA's Shelter and Services Program and is open for applications through Aug. 8, per FEMA's announcement.
The program is intended to fast-track construction of secure, temporary detention sites on state or local land, sidestepping long procurement delays.
Noem has criticized federal contractors as costly and slow, and has encouraged governors to take a more direct role.
"They were willing to build it and do it much quicker than some of the other vendors," Noem said of Florida. "And it was a real solution we'll be able to utilize if we need to."
Florida's facility was built in just eight days on remote Everglades land at the Dade-Collier Airport. It holds up to 3,000 migrants and is surrounded by fencing, swamp, and natural barriers.
During a July 1 visit, President Donald Trump praised it as "so professional, so well done," calling it "a model we'd like to see in many states."
"We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation," he added.
Florida officials confirmed they are seeking FEMA reimbursement to help cover the camp's estimated $450 million annual operating cost. State officials say the site qualifies for federal funding under the new grant guidelines.
According to Noem, five states are currently in talks with DHS about building similar detention facilities.
"We've had several other states that are actually using Alligator Alcatraz as a model for how they can partner with us," she said during a recent news briefing.
"I hope my phone rings off the hook from governors calling and saying, 'How can we do what Florida just did?'"
The new funding comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aims to double detention capacity.
ICE reported more than 56,000 migrants in custody as of June, the highest since 2019, and is targeting 100,000 beds by the end of the year, according to DHS planning materials.
Funds will be distributed by FEMA in partnership with Customs and Border Protection, according to DHS' posting.
FEMA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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