Only 1 in 3 Detainees in 'Alligator Alcatraz' Have Criminal Record Despite Trump's Claims That It Holds 'The Most Menacing Migrants'

Despite claims by President Donald Trump and Florida officials that the newly opened detention facility in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz" would house "vicious" criminals, records reviewed by the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times show that just one in every three detainees have a criminal conviction in the United States.

The records, which go over more than 700 detainees, show that over 250 individuals held at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport site have only immigration violations and no criminal charges or convictions. Ages range from 18 to 73, and most detainees are from Latin American countries including Guatemala, Mexico, and Cuba.

Asked for comment, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Herald/Times that:

"Many of the individuals that are counted as 'non-criminals' are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gangsters and more; they just don't have a rap sheet in the U.S. Further, every single one of these individuals committed a crime when they came into this country illegally. It is not an accurate description to say they are 'non-criminals'"

Donald Trump has insisted that the remote camp in swamp land populated by pythons and alligators was reserved for immigrants who were "deranged psychopaths" and "some of the most vicious people on the planet" awaiting deportation.

While Trump and DHS officials have repeatedly asserted that ICE targets the "worst of the worst," recent internal data reported by both CNN and NBC News indicates that fewer than 10% of those booked into ICE custody since October 2024 had serious convictions. Over 75% had no criminal convictions other than immigration or traffic-related offenses.

Immigration advocates and attorneys say arrests increasingly involve individuals with pending asylum claims or minor infractions. "He has one DUI and he's not a threat to others," said Florida attorney Regina de Moraes to The Miami Herald in relation to Brazilian client held at Alligator Alcatraz. "This is a waste of time and money."