Former President Donald Trump is set to visit a newly constructed immigration detention center deep in the Florida Everglades on Tuesday. The facility, which has sparked both environmental and humanitarian concerns, is being presented as part of Trump’s ongoing push for stricter border enforcement.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the visit on Monday, saying the site would be operational by the time Trump arrives. “When the president comes tomorrow, he’s going to be able to see,” DeSantis told reporters. “I think by tomorrow, it’ll be ready for business.”
DeSantis, who challenged Trump in the previous Republican primary, said he recently spoke with the former president and confirmed the facility had received clearance from the Department of Homeland Security. He emphasized its remote location, noting, “They ain’t going anywhere once they’re there, unless you want them to go somewhere. Good luck getting to civilization. So the security is amazing.”
The project has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists and Native American groups who say the site threatens a fragile ecosystem and violates sacred land. Located on a remote airstrip about 50 miles west of Miami, the center is expected to hold up to 5,000 detainees. Surrounded by Everglades swampland, the area is known for its harsh environment filled with mosquitoes, alligators, and invasive pythons.
“There’s really nowhere to go. If you’re housed there, if you’re detained there, there’s no way in, no way out,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told conservative commentator Benny Johnson. He dubbed the facility “Alligator Alcatraz,” a nickname that has been embraced by Trump allies. A recent image shared by the Department of Homeland Security even showed cartoon alligators wearing ICE hats.
While Florida state officials are leading the construction effort, much of the funding is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), typically tasked with disaster response rather than immigration infrastructure.
Protests continue as critics argue the facility is designed more as a deterrent symbol than a humane solution to immigration challenges.
