“We have jails…but that’s not enough” DeSantis shows nation’s ultimate detention center and deportation fortress
Florida – In the middle of the Florida Everglades, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis led a guided tour of the state’s newest and most contentious public works project: a huge $450 million immigration detention and deportation complex that the governor called “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport near Ochopee is where the facility was created. It was built to accommodate the large number of individuals who are being ordered to be deported by immigration judges. DeSantis estimates that number is now over 50,000 in Florida alone.
As construction personnel finished up the last few things, DeSantis spoke with Fox News host Steve Doocy to explain what the site was for.
“We have jails…but that’s not enough, and so there needs to be more ability to intake, process and then deport. This answers that,” DeSantis said, gesturing toward the new compound.
The governor quickly pointed out that the long airport runway behind him was a practical advantage for deportation operations.
“We’ve got a massive runway right before us, where any of the federal assets that they want to fly back to a country, they can do that, a one-stop shop.”
DeSantis described a setup built for scale, emphasizing the center’s capacity. He said that this place will be able to handle more than 3,000 illegal immigrants, pointing out how big the operation is and how hard it will be. DeSantis said that they are going to keep officials busy since there are already a lot of deportation orders on the books.
The governor additionally spoke about how things might work. When Doocy asked about the row of portable bathrooms along the site, DeSantis said that the division of emergency management had done everything and that many of the resources, like bathrooms and other logistical support, were originally meant for hurricane response. Now, those same resources are being used to enforce immigration laws.
DeSantis pointed out that the people kept at the facility would not be short in basic needs, offering air conditioning and medical care as part of the infrastructure.
The detention center’s price tag, which is said to be $450 million a year, has raised some eyebrows, but DeSantis stressed that federal reimbursements will cover some of the expenditures. The facility is set to start taking in detainees very soon, which is a new step in Florida’s approach to enforcing immigration laws.
Supporters say the project is a necessary move to deal with what they see as an increase in illegal border crossings and overstays. Critics, on the other hand, say the size and cost of the project show that the state’s immigration policy is becoming stricter. As the last parts fall into place, “Alligator Alcatraz” is set to become a key part of Florida’s growing operation to process and deport undocumented immigrants.
