Pro-Trump Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) pitched creating “Alligator Alcatraz,” a migrant detention center in the middle of the Everglades wetlands, home to several diverse wild and plant life.
“If somebody were to get out, there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide — only the alligators and pythons are waiting. That’s why I like to call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’” Uthmeier told Fox Business, announcing that the project is in the early stages.
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Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images
Uthmeier was recently found in civil contempt over a federal judge’s order to put a hold on a new state law which makes it a crime for undocumented individuals to enter Florida. He doubled down on enforcing President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda Thursday on X announcing that he is working on creating a temporary detention facility “completely surrounded by the Everglades.”
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He notes that the temporary facility will house as many as 1,000 migrants and “present an efficient, low-cost opportunity” because you “don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter.”
Uthmeier reportedly told Fox Business that Alligator Alcatraz “would serve as a three-in-one immigration enforcement facility,” calling it a “deportation hub” that will house migrants, process their cases and is built close to a virtually abandoned airport.
The project received support from the Florida GOP, who called it “a bold plan.” Trump’s Department of Homeland Security also shared Uthmeier’s promotional video.
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However, some environmental groups slammed the idea and are calling on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to reject Alligator Alcatraz, WOWT reported.
“Think about what could happen if we bring in a 1,000-bed prison, all the ancillary development you would need. We call on the governor to put a stop to this proposal right now,” Eve Samples, excutive director of Friends of the Everglades, told the outlet, calling it “a terribly bad idea.”
“It really strikes you as a clueless idea that was off the cuff,” Samples continued.
