'Alligator Alcatraz': Florida plans migrant detention centre in Everglades
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed it is building a detention centre to temporarily hold migrants in the Florida Everglades. Secretary Kristi Noem said the facility - dubbed the Alligator Alcatraz - would be funded "in large part" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's shelter and services programme, which was previously used to fund accommodation and other aid for undocumented migrants.The plan has been criticised by several lawmakers, including the mayor of Miami-Dade County, who argued it could be environmentally "devastating". The proposal comes as Trump tries to deliver on a campaign pledge to ramp up deportations of illegal migrants.
"Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens," Noem said in a statement."We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida."The facility is to be built on the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a public airport around 58km (36 miles) from Miami. It will cost about $450m (£332m) a year to run.In a video posted on X, Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier called the airport a "virtually abandoned facility". He said the detention centre could be built in 30 to 60 days and hold an estimated 1,000 people. He argued the location acted as a natural deterrent for escapees. Uthmeier said in the video: "[If] people, get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide."The Democratic mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniela Levine Cava, criticised the plan, saying the "the impacts to the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating". The Florida Everglades are a unique environmental region comprising marshes, prairies, forests, mangroves and estuaries. But Uthmeier said the facility would not be located within Everglades National Park.
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The Herald Scotland
29 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Remember the blood and lies of Iraq? We can't do it again with Iran
My daughter picked up her phone to call a cab, scrolled, and said "America has bombed Iran". There was a moment of collective horror, a few whispered "Jesus Christs", "oh no" and "f**ks". The mood quickly became strange, through. It wasn't really fear or anger, more this weight of powerlessness pressing down on us all. What could we – mere people, mere citizens – do any more? A friend nailed it: 'We're trapped on a planet with three lunatics who are going to kill us all.' He meant Trump, Putin and Netanyahu. The older the folk, the greater the sense of helplessness. Back in 2003, I was 33. At the time, that age felt very adult. Looking back, I realise how young and naive I was. In the run-up to the Iraq invasion, I wrote investigation after investigation detailing the lies which the governments of Tony Blair and George Bush were spinning to justify their illegal war. Read more by Neil Mackay There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Blair, Bush and their bloody-handed sidekicks knew that. They wanted war. They'd the taste of blood in their mouths. I turned all those investigations into a damn book thinking, like a fool, it might matter. I marched with one million other people, thinking that might matter. Still the war came. Iraq destroyed Britain and America. Our governments committed a monstrous sin based on deliberate lies, killed mountains of fellow human beings, and unleashed hell across the Middle East. No Iraq, no Islamic State. Blair brought terror to British streets. The chaos in the Middle East created millions of refugees, whose arrival in Europe was used to crowbar our societies apart. We threw trillions away on a meaningless, pointless bloodbath. Iraq was the first step towards the mass rejection of politics we see today. If our governments could lie to us on such an issue – a matter of life, death and morality – then how could we trust them on anything? So I wasn't much surprised on Saturday night. If Iraq could happen in the face of all those warnings, all that protest, then of course Iran could be bombed. Indeed, the bombing felt inevitable. Like Iraq, Iran is a brutal regime, whose leaders should be in The Hague. Yet like Iraq, the cruelties which leaders have inflicted on their people isn't the casus belli for Iran. The reasons we – the powerless citizenry – are given as a justification is, once again, weapons of mass destruction. Are we to be fools twice over? Iraqi WMDs was a lie. There's no reason to believe anything western governments or their intelligence services say when it comes to Iran and its nuclear programme. It's the ultimate case of the boy who cried wolf. Iran could have an atom bomb. But how could anyone trust the people who sit in Washington and London? However, the notion that Iran has such weapons doesn't need much to knock it down. In March, Trump's national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard said: 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003.' At Trump's command, she cravenly changed her mind. There have been claims that Iran was building a bomb since 1979 when the Shah was overthrown. In 1984, West German intelligence claimed Iran's production of a bomb was 'entering its final stages'. Diplomatic talks with Iran on nuclear weapons were ongoing, until Israel's government persuaded Trump to start bombing. There were five rounds of talks. Israel unleashed its military campaign two days before the sixth round of negotiations. America destroyed any hope of diplomacy. Israel's government, under the leadership of Netanyahu, is out of control. Indeed, Britain and America, and other western nations, should question their relationship with Israel's current government given the horror it has unleashed in Gaza. We should note, with grave solemnity, that last November, a UN special committee said Israeli government policies and practices in Gaza were 'consistent with the characteristics of genocide'. We're now at the stage where America's actions risk spreading the Middle East conflict. If America is sucked in deeper, then it's inevitable that Britain will be dragged in deeper too, traipsing behind our US masters. That cannot happen. Any attempt by Keir Starmer to join America and Israel must be subjected to a vote in Parliament, and MPs put under such pressure by constituents that Labour is stopped in its tracks. Certainly, that's what every single person at that Saturday night house party in Glasgow believed. I kept my cynicism to myself, however. How could I believe protest might work when I'd seen Iraq happen? Yet, why destroy the last vestige of hope among the young, in the dying moments of a night of good cheer and friendship? The huge anti-war protest in London in 2003 (Image: Getty) Those at the party, older than me, felt the same. As I kissed a dear friend in her eighties goodnight, I suggested we should take some solace in the belief persisting among the young that protest could change a government's mind. 'At least they haven't given up hope,' I said. 'My generation felt like that during Vietnam,' she replied. Her words sent me tumbling back through time, to when I was five, sitting in front of a black and white TV playing with my toys while my parents watched Saigon fall. I saw something then, which has stayed with me forever: a dead and disembowelled child being carried over the heads of a group of Vietnamese men through a burning wasteland of rubble. My friend kissed me in return and said: 'It just keeps going; it never ends. The horror is: we're powerless to stop it. Until we're not powerless any more, of course. But that takes the kind of courage on behalf of ordinary people which I've not seen in my lifetime.' That was wisdom. That was hope. Neil Mackay is The Herald's Writer at Large. He's a multi-award-winning investigative journalist, author of both fiction and non-fiction, and a filmmaker and broadcaster. He specialises in intelligence, security, crime, social affairs, cultural commentary, and foreign and domestic politics.
Powys County Times
34 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Prime Minister heads to Nato summit as Trump declares Israel-Iran ceasefire
The Prime Minister heads to a Nato summit on Tuesday amid uncertainty surrounding a ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced by US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump said on Monday night he had secured the 'complete and total ceasefire' following Iran's retaliation against a US strike on its nuclear facilities. Iran's foreign minister said it would stop attacks if Israel stopped its own strikes by 4am Tehran time (2am BST) on Tuesday while state television said a ceasefire had begun. Israel has declined to comment on Mr Trump's ceasefire post on social media, but said four people had been killed by Iranian missile strikes after the 4am deadline, with the Israel Airports Authority adding the country's skies were closed to planes until further notice. "CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE…" –President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 23, 2025 Ahead of the two-day summit in the Netherlands, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said Sir Keir would continue to press for a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran crisis. The UK lifted advice for its citizens to shelter in place in Qatar after Iran launched a retaliatory attack on the US Al Udeid military base. Qatar also reopened its airspace. Mr Trump called Iran's action 'a very weak response' and thanked Tehran 'for giving us early notice' to avoid any casualties. He later said in a Truth Social post that Israel and Iran had agreed a 'complete and total ceasefire' to be phased in over 24 hours, saying the two countries had approached him 'almost simultaneously'. He said the ceasefire would be phased-in over 24 hours, giving the two countries six hours to have 'wound down and completed their in progress, final missions'. 'The World, and the Middle East, are the real WINNERS!' he posted later. 'They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of RIGHTEOUSNESS & TRUTH.' As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around. As of now, there is NO "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no… — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025 A senior White House official said Mr Trump had been in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ceasefire plan, while vice president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff had been in communication with Iran through direct and indirect channels. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X there was 'NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations'. But he said Iran had 'no intention' of continuing attacks if Israel stopped its 'illegal aggression against the Iranian people' by 4am Tehran time (2am BST), around a quarter of an hour before his post. He added a 'final decision' on ending military operations would be made later. Israeli airstrikes targeted Tehran before the 4am deadline, while Israel reported three waves of missiles from Iran overnight emergency services saying the barrage had killed four people in Beersheba in the south of the country. The Israeli UN mission said it had no comment on the president's post. Meanwhile, the UK started evacuating Britons from Israel, with the first group of 63 flown back via Cyprus. Downing Street said 'around 1,000' people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office. The Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran and it is operating 'remotely', Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs. Mr Lammy previously spoke of a two-week window for a diplomatic solution after Mr Trump's apparent decision last week to delay US military action, but on Monday said the window had 'narrowed' although the need for a diplomatic solution remained. Mr Lammy said: 'My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately. 'The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.'
Spectator
an hour ago
- Spectator
Will Iran seize this moment for revolution?
Last night began with dramatic news: the Islamic Republic of Iran had launched a volley of ballistic missiles at the US-run Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, a retaliatory gesture following the devastating American strikes on the Iranian regime's nuclear facilities. In Washington, President Trump entered the National Security Council, according to some reports accompanied by the nuclear 'football'. The world held its breath in what was turning into the highest-stakes game of chess. Soon it happened: Trump had indeed pressed the button and unleashed chaos and mayhem across the region. But it was not the one that launches missiles. Instead, it was the presidential CAPS LOCK. Trump took to social media with a volley of his own: a string of taunting, triumphant declarations, including '14 Missiles Launched, 13 Intercepted, 1 Harmless, No Americans Harmed. THANK YOU for your Attention to this Matter!' and the witheringly dismissive, 'They have gotten it all out of their 'system'.' The rhetorical crescendo came with an all-caps benediction: 'CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!' Trump posted repeatedly overnight, each time more jubilant, more exclamatory, more drenched in digital EXALTATION. His declarations of PEACE escalated at times into something approaching messianic fervour, even as Israeli airstrikes intensified across Iran, and Tehran continued to fire ballistic missiles at Israeli civilians. By the morning, as the CEASEFIRE time approached, we were once again rushing in and out of bomb shelters as our phone alerts blared out warnings. Over the past 11 days, the Islamic regime in Iran has been unmasked To be fair, it was never clear when the 'Complete and Total CEASEFIRE' would start or who, in fact, had agreed to it and when. The timings were confusing. It would start 'in approximately 6 hours from now,' he wrote, 'when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!' It would last 'for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED! Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL.' He concluded with characteristic flourish: On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'. But as six hours, twelve hours, twelve days – whatever it was – wear on, the explosions have only grown louder. Was it a desperate final barrage? A last act to cripple some keystone of the regime's machinery? A parting statement of force? No one could say. Only that the war was not quite over when we rushed into our bomb shelters, clutching hastily made coffees. One barrage, again aimed deliberately at civilians, murdered four more people in southern Israel. So much for PEACE. Trump declared with characteristic exuberance: 'This is a wonderful day for the world, I think Israel and Iran will never shoot at each other again.' But the cost, and the result, is clear. Iran's nuclear infrastructure lies in ruins. Israel and the US have destroyed the core of the regime's strategic capability. Israel alone eliminated two-thirds of Iran's long-range launchers, decapitated its nuclear leadership, targeted its military elite and struck hundreds of regime sites. Tehran, in turn, killed 29 civilians, including three this morning, and struck civilian infrastructure, including the Weizmann Institute and a major power facility. Last night, another Iranian nuclear scientist was killed. Explosions continued across Tehran. Beersheba suffered fresh casualties. As the dust starts to settle, we begin to see what was achieved. The Islamic Republic has suffered great humiliation through strategic exposure and symbolic degradation. Israel did not just target nuclear and military infrastructure; it dismantled emblems, too. Evin Prison, where the regime has long imprisoned and tortured dissidents and innocents, was hit. So too was the preposterous, bombastic countdown clock in Iran's 'Palestine Square', a theatre prop absurdly ticking toward Israel's destruction. Yesterday, Israel struck not just nuclear or missile-related sites, but alsoTehran's Basij HQ and other IRGC internal-security foundations, killing 'hundreds of IRGC members' and devastating internal security command nodes. This was not mission creep or over-reach, but a series of deliberate acts of narrative demolition, essential for weakening the enemy's grip and power to instil fear. Iran's retaliation on the US base in Qatar, meanwhile, was intercepted, ineffective, and diplomatically costly. Its missiles were shot down. Qatar demned the attack. The Pentagon reported no casualties. The global oil market dipped in collective disinterest. Even the regime's visual propaganda posted on X – a stylised image of an American flag in flames amidst ruins – couldn't mask the gap between fantasy and fact. No US bases burned. No casualties fell. The only wreckage was reputational. And then came Trump's theatre: taunting, triumphal, and strategically belittling. While Tehran issued grand pronouncements, Washington delivered a barrage of digital dominance. The regime's fearsome image collapsed into farce. Today, a window opens. Not in Washington or Jerusalem, but in Tehran Over the past 11 days, the Islamic regime in Iran has been unmasked. Its nuclear ambitions decapitated. Its military elite degraded. Its symbols desecrated. And, crucially, its aura of deterrence dissolved. The regime that once inspired fear now invites ridicule. It remains dangerous, but it is no longer as feared. And that shift, the erosion of fear, is perhaps the most lethal blow of all. For decades, the Islamic Republic's power rested not only on weapons, but on the perception of inevitability. That perception is now fractured. No one is pretending regime change can be delivered from abroad. But every intercepted missile, every mocking tweet, every shattered myth lays the groundwork for something more profound: the possibility that the Iranian people, stripped of fear, might one day confront their rulers not as subjects, but as a sovereign people. It is not for the US or Israel to remove the Ayatollahs from power, nor to find and nurture their replacement. Only Iranians can do that. The same strategic logic applies to Gaza: it is not Israel's duty to construct a Palestinian political future. It is Israel's duty to dismantle those committed to its destruction. What arises from those ruins is not Israel's to shape. If anything viable remains once the hatred and barbarity is defeated, it will be for Palestinians themselves to define. In both cases, Persian and Palestinian, the principle is the same: destroy the machinery of tyranny and terror; let the future be born in the vacuum that follows. Not imposed, not imported, but made possible through the clarity of defeat and a peace born of power and complete victory. Iran's regime is still cruel, still repressive. But it is weaker than it has been in decades. Strategically exposed, symbolically humiliated, and psychologically diminished. The emperor, finally, is naked. But we must still be cautious. The world, weary of sirens and smoke, sighs in relief. And in doing so, it risks forgetting who this regime is: a theocracy driven by the doctrines of Khomeini, who wrote that 'Israel is a cancerous growth that must be uprooted'. This is not rhetoric, but theology. A divinely sanctioned campaign to erase the Jewish state, not for policy, but for purity. To trust too much in peace with such a regime is to forget history, and to gamble with the future. Today, a window opens. Not in Washington or Jerusalem, but in Tehran. A moment, perhaps fleeting, in which the Iranian people may see their rulers for what they are: brittle, exposed, afraid. The question is not what the West will do. The question is whether the Iranian people will act. Will the women who led protests in the streets lead something larger? Will the lorry drivers once again unite? Will fear, once lost, remain buried? And if not now, when?
