Florida Opens 3,000-Bed 'Alligator Alcatraz' Migrant Detention Center

President Donald Trump, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, opened a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," designed to hold up to 3,000 criminal illegal immigrants. The facility, located on a former airport site and surrounded by rugged Everglades terrain, emphasizes strict security with over 200 cameras and extensive barbed wire, and aims to prioritize deporting the "worst of the worst" migrants first. Noem warned illegal immigrants that self-deportation is their best option to avoid detainment at this remote and secure center, offering them the chance to return legally if they leave voluntarily. The center was rapidly constructed in eight days under an emergency order authorized by DeSantis and will cost $450 million annually, with full federal reimbursement. Florida GOP Chair Evan Power highlighted that the detention center serves to protect Floridians by quickly processing and removing criminal illegal immigrants while supporting legal immigration. The facility reflects a coordinated government effort to enforce immigration laws more aggressively, with the Florida National Guard deputized as immigration judges to expedite hearings within 48 hours.