FEMA to Fund Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz Immigration Detention Centers

TL/DR –

The US government is backing a project by the state of Florida to establish immigration detention centres, one of which is proposed for a location in the Everglades called “Alligator Alcatraz”. The centres, for individuals awaiting deportation, will be primarily funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s shelter and services program. The state’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, stated the facilities could together accommodate up to 5,000 detainees and might start receiving them as early as next month.

Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” to be Funded by Federal Government

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the federal government will fund Florida’s immigration detention centers, including one proposed in the Everglades called \”Alligator Alcatraz.\”

Funding for the Florida detention centers will stem largely from FEMA’s shelter and services program, devised by Congress to assist groups and cities managing migrants and asylum-seekers from federal custody along the U.S.-Mexico border.

FEMA, an agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with disaster relief, has seen significant cuts under the second Trump administration.

Sec. Noem assured in a statement that under Trump’s leadership, the government is working rapidly on affordable and innovative approaches to enact mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens. This expansion of facilities and bed space will be possible due to the partnership with Florida.

Plans of Florida aiding the federal government in increasing its detainee holding capacity were revealed by officials in Tallahassee last week. The Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that a largely deserted Everglades airfield will be transformed into a detention facility, referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz” for illegal immigrants charged with crimes.

On Monday, Uthmeier announced federal approval of the state’s plan to build “Alligator Alcatraz”, capable of housing around 5,000 detainees.

Uthmeier described the facility as a no-way-in, no-way-out setup, alluding to the surrounding treacherous wetlands teeming with alligators and pythons.

The announcement signifies the broader effort by Republican-led states to support the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda.

Amidst the Trump administration’s intensified immigration arrests nationwide, assistance has come from law enforcement in red states like Louisiana, Texas, and Florida. In Texas, state National Guard troops have even been authorized to enforce federal immigration laws.

Uthmeier expressed his pride in supporting President Trump and Secretary Noem in their mission to solve the illegal immigration issue. He assured that “Alligator Alcatraz and other Florida facilities will do just that.”

Author

Camilo Montoya-Galvez, the immigration reporter at CBS News, covers immigration policy and politics from Washington.

—
Read More US Political News