President Donald Trump, Governor Ron DeSantis, and other state and federal officials descended on the Everglades Tuesday to tour the new ICE detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Action News Jax was the only local station in our region in the room during the roundtable that followed.
“It’s known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate,” said President Trump.
The President was in good spirits after touring the new $450 million ICE detention facility built on a seldom-used air strip in the heart of the Everglades.
“Very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet. We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swamp land, and the only way out is really deportation,” said President Trump.
Officials said the facility is ready to house up to 3,000 immigrant detainees, with capacity for further expansion if needed.
PHOTOS: President Trump, DHS Secretary Noem visit Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention center
The detention center includes an air-conditioned dining hall and barracks.
It was a point DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized.
“A higher standard than is required at the state levels, at local department of corrections facilities, sheriff’s offices. This is a state-of-the-art facility,” said Noem.
It took only eight days to construct the facility, which will be staffed by a crew of 1,000, including 400 security guards.
The facility will be up and running with the first detainees set to arrive as early as Wednesday.
State officials claim the structures are able to withstand wind speeds of up to 110 miles per hour, roughly equal to a strong CAT 2 Hurricane.
A thunderstorm that erupted after the conclusion of the event acted as a initial test run of that claim:
"They're holding up"
— Jake Stofan (@JakeStofan) July 1, 2025
-Structures in "Alligator Alcatraz" get their first stress test as thunder storms roll in during @GovRonDeSantis' press gaggle, interrupted by the sound of a nearby lightning strike. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/uk5wLjb7bi
“This will definitely try out this stuff,” Governor DeSantis remarked after a loud clap of thunder interrupted his response to a reporter.
DeSantis called on other states to follow Florida’s lead and step up to help carry out the President’s policy of mass deportation.
“There’s no reason why you can’t have 20 Republican states doing something similar. That will be a force multiplier if that’s able to happen,” said DeSantis.
Already, there are plans in the works for another facility in Florida.
That second facility is expected to be built in Northeast Florida at Camp Blanding.
“What we have here can hold 3,000 now. We have a 2,000 facility up at Camp Blanding that we’re gonna be opening, which is our National Guard site,” said DeSantis.
And those plans are already in motion.
“I would say right after our wonderful Independence Day, we will be starting construction there on that facility,” said Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie.
Action News Jax’s Jake Stofan got to ask the President directly about the local facility:
President Donald Trump seemed particularly happy, not only with the availability of a small airstrip at Camp Blanding, but also the nearby larger airstrip at Cecil Field, which is more comparable to the airstrip at Alligator Alcatraz.
“Having a runway is a nice thing. Today, you don’t get runways approved. Let me tell you, it’s tough to get a runway,” said President Trump.
Those air strips are integral to the one-stop shop for mass deportations envisioned for the two detention centers, where detainees can be brought, housed and flown out of the country all within the same facility.
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Governor DeSantis indicated the detention center planned at Camp Blanding may look slightly different than the new Everglades facility and may even require less work to get up and running.
“Blanding actually has buildings and facilities that we can repurpose for this and we’re obviously, General Hoss here is here, [we’re] working very closely with him to be able to do that,” said DeSantis.
And while still early, DeSantis says there’s even the possibility of a third facility, which he predicted would likely end up somewhere in the state’s panhandle.
The new facility has faced pushback from Florida Democratic officials, as well as environmental activists and anti-ICE protestors.
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