TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – President Trump and Governor DeSantis are expected to attend the opening of the controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz‘, Tuesday morning.
The $450 million a year facility can house 5,000 migrants, and the state-run detention center is being funded with money from FEMA.
Governor DeSantis seized control of the site using emergency powers.
“You’ll be able to bring people in, they’ll get processed, they have an order of removal, and they can be queued, and you can, the federal government can fly right on the runway right there,” DeSantis said.
The facility is grabbing national attention and making the rounds on social media. Homeland Security posted a picture of alligators wearing ‘ICE’ hats to ‘X’ with the caption ‘Coming Soon’.
Outspoken opposers lined US Highway 41 near the Everglades in protest over the weekend. Environmental activists and Native Americans who participated in the demonstration worry about the impact on the ecosystem.
“This is sacred land to the indigenous people, and they deserve to keep it that way. These are not just wild public lands for everybody, but they’re also a sacred space for the indigenous community here,” said Betty Osceola. “This is my home.”
President Trump, Governor DeSantis, and Attorney General Uthmeier are set to participate in a roundtable at the new site on Tuesday morning. They’ll be discussing illegal immigration.
