Trump to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz' detention centre amid deportation push
US President Donald Trump is expected to visit southern Florida Tuesday to mark the opening of a new migrant detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' reported Reuters. The visit comes as Trump accelerates efforts to expand detention and deportation of undocumented migrants, citing what he describes as a border crisis left by Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.
Trump is expected to be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who reportedly invited the president to tour the site. However, the White House has not yet commented on the visit.
According to federal data, the number of people in immigration detention has surged from 39,000 in January to over 56,000 by mid-June.
Located on a remote airstrip at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, roughly 70 kilometers from Miami, the facility sits in the heart of Florida's Everglades. It earned its nickname due to the surrounding alligator- and python-infested wetlands.
State officials say the natural barriers eliminate the need for extensive fencing and surveillance. 'If individuals escape, there's not much waiting for them except for alligators and pythons,' a Florida attorney told BBC.
The center, which will house up to 1,000 detainees in tents and portable units, is primarily funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is a key component of Trump's renewed immigration agenda, which he has tied closely to his re-election campaign.
Local officials and environmental advocates have sharply criticised the project, citing ecological and humanitarian concerns. Although state authorities claim the detention site falls outside the Everglades National Park, opponents warn it could still harm the fragile ecosystem.
(With inputs from Reuters, BBC)
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