Florida National Guard Will Deploy 100 Troops To Secure 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center

The Florida National guard is deploying some 100 troops to a new migrant detention center in the Everglades, dubbed by officials as "Alligator Alcatraz."

The Miami Herald noted that troops will help secure entry points and the perimeter of the facility, which is expected to open on July 1.

"We don't have a set timeline for this mission due to the fluid nature of the situation, but we will stay on the ground for as long as we're needed and at the direction of Governor DeSantis," said Brittanie Funderburk, a spokesperson for the Florida National guard.

Highway Patrol troopers have also been called to aid with the effort, being told they will have to help with gates for at least 30 days.

The DeSantis administration is seeking to move forward quickly with the project, hiring dozens of private companies to help erect tents and trailers to provide medical service, as well as kitchens and portable restrooms.

Attorney General James Uthmeier, who pitched the facility, said it represents "an efficient, low cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter.

"If people get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons," he added. Uthmeier stated the site will aim to hold 1,000 beds.

According to Fox Business, the location was selected in part due to its airstrip, which could be used to transport detainees. Although surrounded by Everglades terrain, the site is not part of the Everglades National Park. "This presents a great opportunity for the state of Florida to work with Miami Dade and Collier counties," Uthmeier added.

The federal government has said it will help fund the site. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the facilities will be funded "in large part" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) shelter and services program, which supports groups and cities receiving migrants and asylum-seekers released from federal custody close to the southern border.

"Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens," Noem told CBS News. The Miami Herald noted that construction began on Monday.