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Emigration and immigration

"Alligator Alcatraz": Florida's Immigration Detention Facility Raises Concerns Amid Hurricane Season

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new immigration detention facility, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" due to its remote location in the Everglades, is set to be built in Florida. The facility, partly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has raised concerns among some Floridians that it may divert hurricane relief funds. The location, a 39-square-mile site in a swampy region surrounded by alligators and pythons, will be home to a facility that can expand to 5,000 beds within months.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Alligator Alcatraz" facility will be located in the Everglades, a remote area surrounded by alligators and pythons, and will have the capacity to expand to 5,000 beds within months.
  • The facility will be partly funded by FEMA's Shelter and Services Program, which uses money allocated by Congress to provide migrants with temporary shelter, food, and transportation.
  • The facility will be built on a site at the abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which has an existing airstrip, and will use temporary buildings and shelters similar to those used during natural disasters.
  • The state's Department of Homeland Security has stated that the facility is part of efforts to "deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations."
  • FEMA has approximately $625m in funds available for the Shelter and Services Program, and the facility's total cost is expected to be around $450m for one year.
  • The facility is expected to open within 30 to 60 days after construction started on June 23.
  • The location was chosen because it is near an airstrip, as per the state's "Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan," which aims to make the detention and deportation process "seamless."

Statistics:

  • The "Alligator Alcatraz" facility will be located on a 39-square-mile site in the Everglades.
  • The facility will have the capacity to expand to 5,000 beds within months.
  • FEMA has approximately $625m in funds available for the Shelter and Services Program.
  • The facility's total cost is expected to be around $450m for one year.
  • Construction on the facility started on June 23.
  • The facility is expected to open within 30 to 60 days after construction started.
  • The state's "Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan" identifies several locations in the northeastern and south-central regions of the state that could serve as detention centers.

Sources:

  • "Alligator Alcatraz": A new immigration detention facility in Florida, [www.aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com)
  • PolitiFact, "How FEMA will fund 'Alligator Alcatraz'", [www.politifact.com](https://www.politifact.com)
  • The New York Times, "Florida to build immigration detention facility, sparking concerns", [www.nytimes.com](https://www.nytimes.com)
  • DHS spokesperson, "FEMA has roughly $625m in Shelter and Services Program funds that can be allocated to build the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility."

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