Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ — Trump Tours Immigration’s Newest Prison
on Jul 01, 2025
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Will Be Used To Detain Illegal Migrants
“It’s a great honor to be deep in Florida, the Florida Everglades, to open America’s newest migrant detention center,” President Donald Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 1. “It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’”
This detention facility, which has earned its nickname from the dangerous reptiles that call the region home, is expected to house 3,000 inmates.
Another facility will soon be established to house an additional 2,000 illegal migrants.
Trump, who was sporting a red Gulf of America hat, added, “Very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”
Paid for with FEMA funds former President Joe Biden had allocated for hotel rooms for illegal migrants in New York City, the Florida migrant facility was announced in June and was ready for detainees within eight days of the announcement.
Noting that an estimated 21 million illegal migrants entered the United States during Biden’s presidency, Trump said that, on average, illegal alien costs the U.S. taxpayer $70,000 each.
Taking a moment to connect immigration reform to the pending “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” — which was approved by the Senate earlier that day in a 51-50 tie-breaker vote, sending it back to the House of Representatives — Trump said, “If you care about balancing the budget, the single most impactful step we can take is to fully reverse the Biden migration invasion.”
The facility is conveniently located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve, which boasts a 2-mile runway to allow for deportations to be conducted seamlessly by the federal government from “Alligator Alcatraz.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, June 30, “There is only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight.”
Watch the full press conference, here:
Trump Tours ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Before the press conference, Trump toured the facility with DeSantis and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Noem had noted during the press conference that this venture was the product of Trump’s April 28 executive order, which authorized DHS to “pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to bring non-compliant jurisdictions into compliance” regarding the harboring of illegal migrants in sanctuary cities.
“The president signed an executive order that allowed us to build partnerships with states and with local law enforcement officers, which is exactly how things should function in this country,” Noem said. “More power, more authority given to people locally so that they can take control of their own destiny.”
Looking to the Florida “Alligator Alcatraz,” she said, “It’s exactly what we need to be perpetuating in other states.”
Beyond the alligators is the reference to Alcatraz, which is a defunct federal prison located in San Francisco Bay that Trump has ordered to be restored and reopened.
Taking questions from the press, the governor of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, was mentioned, with Trump saying, “[Newsom] should call [DeSantis] and [Noem] … his state is a disaster.”
Desantis chimed in, “They have the original Alcatraz, so you guys could prove to him being able to set one of these up over there.”
Since June 6, the city of Los Angeles has seen significant demonstrations against ICE, with some demonstrations devolving into riots with looting and destruction of public and private property.
Trump had the California National Guard deployed in response to this situation, with some Marines being deployed to the city as well.
During the tour of the facility, Trump joked about the legal battles he faced in the year leading up to the 2024 election, saying, “Biden wanted me in here, OK? It didn’t work out that way.”
Notably, Biden maintained that he was not involved in the charges leveled against Trump — which led, in one case, to Trump having his mugshot taken in Fulton County, Georgia; and, in another, Trump being convicted on 34 felony counts over a hush money payment to an adult film star.
The “Alligator Alcatraz” facility is set to have its first inmate enter on Wednesday, July 2.
Watch Trump’s tour of the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility, here:
Related: Schwarzenegger’s Immigration Views Spark Debate on ‘The View’
