Photos from Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ the new Immigration center created by Trump to hold up to 5,000 migrants

The first images of Alligator Alcatraz reveal a stark look inside the new migrant detention center deep in the Florida Everglades, where authorities plan to hold up to 5,000 detainees in wire cages. Video from a tour by former President Trump on Tuesday showed rows of empty metal bunk beds enclosed by hastily assembled chain-link fences. Biden wanted me in here, that son of a bh, Trump joked as he walked through the sprawling facility, located in the subtropical wetlands of South Florida, surrounded by alligators, crocodiles, and pythons. I looked outside thats not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon, he told reporters. Were surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland. The only real way out is deportation.   ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/kfMZuMwc9N The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 1, 2025 The complex, situated at the Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport, is expected to cost about $450 million annually to operate. Officials said the first migrants could arrive as early as Wednesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis noted part of the cost would be reimbursed through FEMAs Shelter and Services Program. Nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz or Gator Gitmo, the facility was built by the state in just eight days and features 200 security cameras, 28,000 feet of barbed wire, and more than 400 security personnel. About 100 National Guard troops will also help secure the site, which sits in the middle of Route 41 the lone road cutting across southern Florida from Miami to Naples.  Theres only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Its isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain. The Trump administration has even leaned into the facilitys gator-infested surroundings, posting memes of alligators in ICE hats on Homeland Security social media and selling Alligator Alcatraz merchandise. During the tour, Trump quipped that new detainees would be trained by Homeland Security on how to run from alligators. Dont run in a straight line run like this, he said, zigzagging his hands. Critics, however, have called the facility inhumane. Some social media users compared the images to a concentration camp, pointing out what appeared to be a lack of air conditioning or vents. Government officials insist the site will be fully air-conditioned to handle Floridas sweltering heat. Environmental groups have also raised alarms, arguing the facility threatens endangered and protected species in the Everglades. They urged the state to conduct a proper environmental assessment, though Florida officials argued in court filings that the law invoked by these groups applies only to federal projects. Trump said he hopes to see similar detention centers established across the country. Id like to see them in many states. Really, many states. At some point, they might even form a system, he said.    The post Photos from Inside Alligator Alcatraz, the new Immigration center created by Trump to hold up to 5,000 migrants appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.