Swamp Security: DeSantis Unveils Remote Processing Hub for Illegal Immigrants
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis provided an exclusive tour to Fox and Friends co-host Steve Doocy today of the newly approved “Alligator Alcatraz,” a facility designed to house and process undocumented immigrants for deportation.
The Trump administration greenlit the construction of the facility on Tuesday, following a proposal from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Governor DeSantis emphasized the facility’s robust security, telling Doocy, “This is as secure as it gets.” He explained the critical role of such a site in the deportation process. “When you want to have deportation of illegal aliens, there is a process that DHS has to go through to vet, to process and to stage them for removal,” DeSantis stated, highlighting the collaboration between state and federal efforts. “The state of Florida is all in on President Trump’s mission.”
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The Governor stressed the need for additional processing capacity beyond existing ICE operations. “This is going to be able to have more than 3,000 illegals can be processed through here, we’ve got a massive runway behind us, where any federal assets they want to fly these people back to their own country, they can do it, one-stop shop.”
President Donald Trump, since taking office, has issued several executive orders targeting illegal immigration and border security, including designating Mexican drug cartels, the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), and the El Salvadoran prison gang MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations.
DeSantis impressed Doocy with the rapid progress of the facility, attributing it to the Division of Emergency Management’s expertise. “When we have a hurricane, we have people staged here for hurricane response normally,” DeSantis explained. “This is not our first rodeo, detaining illegal aliens is a little bit different, but logistically, we know how to do that.”
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The Governor also highlighted the natural deterrents of the location. “If a criminal alien escapes, you have nowhere to go. What are you going to do? Trudge through the swamp and dodge alligators 50 or 60 miles to civilization? Not going to happen,” DeSantis boasted. He added that the facility would alleviate the burden on local and state law enforcement, ensuring “no impact on Florida residents.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Monday on X that the facility would be largely financed through FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program. “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,” Noem stated, commending the partnership with Florida.
Noem contrasted this approach with the previous administration, alleging that the Biden White House used FEMA funds for “illegal migrant housing at posh accommodations like the Roosevelt Hotel,” which she claimed housed “Laken Riley’s killer and other migrant gang members.”
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the mastermind behind the “Alligator Alcatraz” concept, championed the site’s unique characteristics. “People get out. There’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” Uthmeier previously remarked. He elaborated on NewsNation’s Morning in America that the 39-square-mile Miami Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport site is “ideal” due to its existing infrastructure, including an 11,000-foot runway for large aircraft, and natural barriers.
Uthmeier emphasized the growing need for detention sites due to increased arrests in the state, stating the abandoned airport provides “a great opportunity with a perimeter essentially already established by nature, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on the perimeter because once you’re there, there’s nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.”
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Construction of the facility, which will consist of large tents and other temporary structures, commenced on Monday. The New York Times reports an estimated annual operating cost of $450 million, with a capacity to house 5,000 migrants and other foreign nationals under federal immigration detention.
Uthmeier affirmed Florida’s commitment to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, noting the state’s proactive approach, including being the “first state to have all of our state law enforcement and county sheriffs certified under 287(g),” a federal authority that deputizes local law enforcement to perform immigration functions.
The Attorney General also addressed his recent civil contempt citation from a federal judge concerning a partial block on a new Florida immigration law, defending his actions by stating he “took an oath to the Constitution, to rule of law,” and is willing to accept the consequences for “standing on principle.”
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