Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is launching himself back into the national conversation with a project that sounds like something out of a political thriller: a giant detention camp built in the middle of the Everglades. Nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, the facility is being pitched as a tough, no-nonsense solution to immigration enforcement. For DeSantis, this is a chance to show he is fully committed to former President Trump’s policies. For critics, it is a reckless gamble with human lives and the environment.
What Is Alligator Alcatraz Supposed to Be?
Alligator Alcatraz is a huge detention center designed to hold thousands of migrants awaiting deportation. The project is being built on a nearly abandoned airstrip about two hours west of Miami. Officials say it will soon house up to 5,000 detainees.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who helped create the plan, described it as a Florida version of the famous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay. He called the Everglades location a natural barrier that makes escapes almost impossible. Uthmeier said, “You don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter. People get out, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.”
Governor DeSantis emphasized that the site offers unique logistical advantages. Speaking on Fox News, he explained, “We’ve got a massive runway right behind us where any of the federal assets that they want to fly these people back to their home country—they can do it one-stop shop.”
The facility will cost about $450 million a year to operate, with the state expecting to be reimbursed by the federal government.
Republicans in Florida have embraced the branding, launching hats, shirts, and koozies with the Alligator Alcatraz label. The term has been mentioned more than 3,400 times in national and local media just since June 18, according to the media monitoring service TVEyes.
How Fast Is the Project Moving?
Construction began just days ago, but DeSantis said the first detainees could arrive as early as Tuesday. State workers have already brought in tents, portable toilets, diesel generators, and lighting infrastructure.
A Fox News report described the pace as “breakneck,” with nearly a dozen vendors hired overnight to meet the governor’s aggressive timeline.
DeSantis insists that the project is only temporary. “We’ll set it up, and we’ll break it down,” he said. “This isn’t our first rodeo. The impact will be zero.”
Despite the governor’s confidence, critics are warning that such rapid construction increases the chance of problems and even legal violations.
DeSantis has long made immigration enforcement one of the main themes of his political message. He believes this facility fits perfectly into that mission. On Fox News, he told viewers, “This is going to be a force multiplier, and we are really happy to be working with the federal government to satisfy President Trump’s mandate.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the project as an example of efficient cooperation. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” she said.
Nick Iarossi, a longtime DeSantis supporter and Florida lobbyist, said, “Other than the economy, immigration is the No. 1 issue among Republican voters. So if the governor and attorney general are strong on immigration and supportive of President Trump’s immigration agenda, that’s going to enhance their popularity with the base and the president.”
A Republican pollster told NBC News, “For a guy who wants to run for president, I’m not sure how this could have gone any better. He needed to try and break through somehow, and so far it seems to be working.”
Democrats and immigrant advocates wasted no time blasting the plan as cruel and irresponsible. Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones said, “They are locking people in a swamp in extreme heat with no clear plan for humane conditions.”
Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman argued that the camp could violate constitutional protections. “There is a serious discussion of whether or not this would constitute cruel and unusual punishment,” she said.
Environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit to stop construction, accusing the state of skipping the legally required environmental reviews. Elise Bennett of the Center for Biological Diversity said, “Federal law is clear…they have to look before they leap, so they don’t cause massive damage to really important resources.”
Eve Samples, director of Friends of the Everglades, warned that the detention center could devastate one of America’s most important ecosystems. “The site is more than 96% wetlands, surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve, and is habitat for the endangered Florida panther and other iconic species,” she said. “This scheme is not only cruel, it threatens the Everglades ecosystem that state and federal taxpayers have spent billions to protect.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat who may run for governor in 2026, also opposed the project and questioned whether the state had the right to seize the airstrip.
This project is a clear attempt to tie DeSantis’s legacy to Trump’s immigration agenda. Although Trump has not yet publicly praised the facility, a top adviser told NBC News that he supports “any proposal or initiative that helps his effort to remove illegals from our country.”
DeSantis made a point of inviting Trump to visit. “We can land Air Force One right there,” he said during his Fox News interview. “No problem. We will get it done.”
As DeSantis faces term limits and prepares for a possible 2028 presidential run, Alligator Alcatraz could be his defining achievement or his most damaging misstep.
Uthmeier, who is up for election in 2026, has also gained a burst of attention. Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said, “An even bigger winner though is Attorney General James Uthmeier who has been a regular on TV selling a tremendously popular idea with the Republican base.”
While the future of Alligator Alcatraz remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Ron DeSantis has chosen to bet big on the idea that hardline immigration enforcement and Trump-style politics will secure his place as the next leader of the Republican Party.
NP Editor: We believe that if Trump had not entered the Presidential race in 2024, DeSantis would be sitting in the White House right now. He is a young guy with all of the right drives and attitudes to be a leader of the Republican Party and a potential President in 2028.
But we are not sure this is the issue that will get him to the top, he will need more.
