Florida Seizes Land Owned By Miami-Dade To Build 'Alligator Alcatraz' To Detain Migrants

The federal government will help fund an initiative from the Florida government to build immigration detention centers in the state, including one in the Everglades that has been dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz."

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.

One of the proposed centers dominated headlines due to its remote location in the Everglades. Attorney General James Uthmeier pitched the facility, saying 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 stated the site could be operational within 30 to 60 days of construction. It 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.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, however, seemed to oppose the initiative. She didn't stand against the initiative as such, but said building it would require "considerable review and due diligence."

In a letter to Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie reported by the Miami Herald, Levine Cava said it is "also imperative that we fully understand the scope and scale of the proposed use of the site and what will be developed, as the impacts to the Everglades ecosystem could be devastating."