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‘Alligator Alcatraz’ approaches opening, protesters react

Florida-Alcatraz-Protest Environmental advocates and protesters at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee, Fla., on Saturday, June 28, 2025, object to the "Alligator Alcatraz" being built at the facility. (Mike Stocker /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) (Mike Stocker/AP)

EVERGLADES, Fla. — President Donald Trump visited a newly constructed detention center in the Everglades, South Florida, today, where he was met by protestors concerned about the facility’s impact on the environment.

The detention center, nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ due to its remote location and surrounding wildlife, was built in a matter of weeks and is designed to house up to 5,000 undocumented immigrants.

Protestors have gathered at the site for the second time in recent days, voicing concerns over the safety of the structure and the potential disruption to the local ecosystem caused by the traffic of people and planes carrying migrants.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state will initially fund the center using money from the Division of Emergency Management, with the Department of Homeland Security expected to reimburse the costs.

“Is this the model going forward, Mister President?” Trump was asked during his visit, to which he replied, “It can be. You don’t always have land so beautiful and so secure.”

President Trump mentioned plans to accommodate an additional 2,000 individuals at Camp Blanding, a National Guard site. The facility’s location in a swampy native land has raised environmental concerns, especially due to alligators and pythons.

As we move forward with discussions, local officials are likely to bring up more concerns about the cost of the detention center, particularly with hurricane season coming up.

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