Kristi Noem 'Bragging' About Using FEMA Funds for 'Alligator Alcatraz' Resurfaces After Deadly Texas Flood

A resurfaced July 1 post from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "bragging" about the use of FEMA funds for a makeshift detention facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" has sparked renewed scrutiny, as Texas reels from deadly flash floods that have killed over 80 people.

Earlier this month, Noem publicly praised her decision to redirect federal emergency shelter funds toward constructing a temporary migrant detention camp in a remote Florida swamp. In her X post, she celebrated the move as a political win, contrasting it with previous uses of the FEMA Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which she criticized for supporting "illegal aliens."

The camp, expected to cost roughly $450 million for a single year, is estimated to cost taxpayers $250 per bed per day, well above the DHS threshold of $165, according to Fox News.

Noem's remarks drew backlash even before the floods, but the recent natural disaster in Texas has intensified criticism. Many are now questioning why FEMA money was funneled into a media-friendly detention site, while counties like Kerr, devastated by historic flooding, remain under-equipped and underfunded.

Social media users have been quick to voice their outrage, with many pointing to Noem's post as a tone-deaf display of political theater at a time when real emergencies are unfolding. The backlash has been swift and sharp across X, calling Noem out for "stealing" and being "incompetent."

The July 4 floods in Texas, which raised the Guadalupe River over 25 feet in under an hour, are the deadliest natural disaster of 2025. Entire towns were overwhelmed, early-warning systems failed to reach sleeping residents, and local officials openly admitted to rejecting emergency infrastructure due to costs.