• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Not Alone: DeSantis Proposes Additional Immigration Detention Center

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Not Alone: DeSantis Proposes Additional Immigration Detention Center

June 25, 2025
MICHELE STEEB: A New Chapter For America’s Homeless: Structure, Recovery, And Hope

MICHELE STEEB: A New Chapter For America’s Homeless: Structure, Recovery, And Hope

July 26, 2025
JAMES CARTER: America’s Capex Comeback

JAMES CARTER: America’s Capex Comeback

July 26, 2025
NEWT GINGRICH: Trump Boom Or Democrat Gloom

NEWT GINGRICH: Trump Boom Or Democrat Gloom

July 26, 2025
JOSH HAMMER: Grading The Second Trump Presidency, Six Months In

JOSH HAMMER: Grading The Second Trump Presidency, Six Months In

July 26, 2025
Leftist Outrage Erupts At California Plan To Stop Paying Criminal Illegals’ Legal Bills

Leftist Outrage Erupts At California Plan To Stop Paying Criminal Illegals’ Legal Bills

July 26, 2025
Mexican Border State Asks Tourists to Travel Highways Only in Daylight Hours

Mexican Border State Asks Tourists to Travel Highways Only in Daylight Hours

July 26, 2025
LARRY ELDER: Dems Rail Against Colbert’s Cancellation — Here’s Why

LARRY ELDER: Dems Rail Against Colbert’s Cancellation — Here’s Why

July 26, 2025
Estado Fronterizo Mexicano Pide a Turistas Viajar Solo de Día

Estado Fronterizo Mexicano Pide a Turistas Viajar Solo de Día

July 26, 2025
Biden-Appointed Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Chicago

Biden-Appointed Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Chicago

July 26, 2025
NEWT GINGRICH: Beyond The August Recess

NEWT GINGRICH: Beyond The August Recess

July 26, 2025
CBS Trades One 60 Minutes Liberal Insider For Another

CBS Trades One 60 Minutes Liberal Insider For Another

July 25, 2025
JENNY BETH MARTIN: No Amnesty: America’s Immigration System Must Respect The Rule Of Law

JENNY BETH MARTIN: No Amnesty: America’s Immigration System Must Respect The Rule Of Law

July 25, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Sunday, July 27, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Not Alone: DeSantis Proposes Additional Immigration Detention Center

by Andrew Powell
June 25, 2025 at 6:55 pm
in News
247 5
0
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Not Alone: DeSantis Proposes Additional Immigration Detention Center

An aerial view shows drought wetland plants at The Everglades National Park, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, May 19, 2025. At Everglades National Park in Florida, extreme drought dries up not only the habitat that wildlife depends on, but the tourism industry here in the largest wetland in the United States. Droughts are frequent toward the end of the dry season, which stretches from October to mid-May, but in recent months, precipitation has been less significant than during a normal year, said Robert Molleda, head of the US National Weather Service in Miami. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Florida is advancing plans to expand its immigration detention system by constructing a second facility at Camp Blanding, a National Guard base in northeast Florida.

According to the Associated Press, this effort is in addition to an existing project that is currently underway at an isolated Everglades airstrip, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” designed to hold migrants in a remote, environmentally sensitive area surrounded by wetlands.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) framed the initiative as Florida’s contribution to the federal immigration crackdown and a solution to overcrowded local jails.

The temporary Everglades facility, slated to hold 5,000 detainees, will be built with trailers and tents and is expected to be operational by early July.

“The capacity that will be added there will help the overall national mission,” DeSantis said.

The site’s isolation has raised concerns, however, and critics say the Everglades location — home to sacred Indigenous lands and difficult wildlife terrain — was chosen in part for its inaccessibility.

“Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there’s a lot of alligators,” DeSantis said. “No one’s going anywhere.”

The effort has drawn fire from environmentalists, county leaders, and immigrant rights groups, who call the plan inhumane.

“What’s happening is very concerning, the level of dehumanization,” said Maria Asuncion Bilbao of the American Friends Service Committee. “It’s like a theatricalization of cruelty.”

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, which is overseeing the project, estimates the cost at $245 per bed daily — roughly $450 million a year.

While Florida fronts the funding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to reimburse the state. Planning is also underway to evacuate detainees during hurricanes, with evacuation sites to be determined based on storm conditions.

The expansion comes amid broader concerns about the state’s emergency preparedness.

Federal disaster assistance is expected to decline, and President Donald Trump has pledged to phase out the agency tasked with disaster response after the 2025 hurricane season, shifting more burden to states.

DeSantis confirmed similar plans are being explored for Camp Blanding in Northern Florida, noting that the Sunshine State is “working on that” to further increase detention capacity.

Tags: Alligator AlcatrazDonald TrumpFloridapoliticsRon DesantisU.S. News
Share196Tweet123
Andrew Powell

Andrew Powell

IJR, Contributor Writer

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th