What is Alligator Alcatraz, the new migrant detention centre Trump administration is building?

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US President Donald Trump came into office vowing to carry out the largest deportation program in history. Now, the administration is building a new detention centre in Florida known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'. But what do we know about this facility? Why is it already the centre of controversy? read more
The detention facility, construction on which began on Monday, is located in Florida's Everglades. AP
Though America is witnessing protests all over, the Donald Trump Administration is continuing its deportation efforts.
US president Donald Trump came into office vowing to carry out the largest deportation program in history.
While the administration hasn't come close to achieving achieved that, it has deported around 200,000 people till April.
Now, the administration is building a massive new detention camp for migrants in Florida.
But what do we know about 'Alligator Alcatraz'? Why is it already the centre of controversy?
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Let's take a closer look
What do we know?
The detention facility, construction on which began on Monday , is located in Florida's Everglades.
This is a region in southern Florida that spans over 11,000 square kilometres.
The area is famed for its marshland and among other animals, its alligators.
The facility, around 70 kilometres from Miami, is the brainchild of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier – a former chief of staff for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Located on the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, it will be used by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house immigrants that have been detained prior to deportation.
Florida is building the land using emergency powers – which DeSantis did in a declaration in June 2023.
A number of heavy duty tents and trailers have been moved into the site.
Authorities said the facility will be able to hold around 1,000 detainees.
A number of heavy duty tents and trailers have been moved into the site. AP
Uthmeier on a podcast said the ultimate goal is to equip the site to hold 5,000 beds.
He said there won't be much security and that construction will be minimal.
'People [detained migrants] get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,' Uthmeier said in a video on X. 'It presents an efficient, low-cost opportunity… because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter.'
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'We don't need to build a lot of brick and mortar,' Uthmeier said in another interview. 'And thankfully, Mother Nature does a lot on the perimeter.'
The DHS has said the facility will cost taxpayers around $450 million per year.
It will be funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
'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,' Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem said in a statement.
'We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.'
Why is it the centre of controversy?
The facility's location and its potential impact on nature and wildlife have caused alarm among environmentalists.
Activists say they are worried about construction damaging the wetland – which is a vital and sensitive part of the Florida ecosystem.
The region is also home to a number of endangered species including the manatee, Florida panther, wood stork, American crocodile, some sea turtle species and the Burmese python.
Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Native American community, told BBC, 'I have serious concerns about the environmental damage'.
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'Surrounded by Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, this land is part of one of the most fragile ecosystems in the country,' reads a statement from the advocacy group Friends of the Everglades. 'Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past. This land deserves lasting protection.'
In this image from undated video released by the Office of Attorney General James Uthmeier shows an isolated Everglades airfield about 45 miles west of Miami. AP
Rights groups are pushing back too.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida in a statement said the facility 'is not just cruel and absurd. It underscores how our immigration system is increasingly being used to punish people rather than process them.'
It noted how ICE detention centres 'have well-documented histories of medical neglect, denial of legal access, and systemic mistreatment'.
The Mayor of Maimi-Dade is also concerned.
The New York Times quoted Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava as writing 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.'
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However, DeSantis' administration has defended the move.
'Governor DeSantis has insisted that the state of Florida, under his leadership, will facilitate the federal government in enforcing immigration law,' a DeSantis spokesperson said in a statement. 'Florida will continue to lead on immigration enforcement.'
With inputs from agencies