Sign in Subscribe
Emigration and immigration

Trump and DeSantis Unveil Controversial Deportation Facility in Everglades

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis have unveiled a new 3,000-capacity deportation facility in the Everglades, touting it as a necessary tool for heightened federal immigration enforcement. The facility, which took only eight days to build, is being portrayed by the DeSantis administration as an inescapable location for migrants, with Trump himself describing it as "Alligator Alcatraz." Despite protests from environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers, Trump praised the facility and the administration's efforts to carry out mass deportations, with 71.2% of immigrants detained having no criminal record.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Everglades deportation facility has a capacity of 3,000 and was built in eight days at a cost not yet disclosed.
  • The facility features metal mesh cages with bed bunks and toilets under a tent that can withstand winds of 110 miles an hour.
  • A similar center with a capacity for 2,000 immigrants is set to open in Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida after July 4.
  • 71.2% of immigrants detained by ICE in Florida have had no criminal record, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
  • Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to halt the opening of the facility, arguing that the hasty construction violates the National Environmental Policy Act.
  • A federal judge has found Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt of court over his disobedience of an order blocking a new state immigration law.
  • Five people have died in ICE custody in Florida this year, including 75-year-old Isidro Pérez, who died at the Krome Service Processing Center on June 26.
  • The facility has been criticized by Democratic lawmakers, including the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus, which has called for its shutdown.

Statistics:

  • 3,000: The capacity of the new deportation facility in the Everglades.
  • 71.2%: The percentage of immigrants detained by ICE in Florida who have had no criminal record.
  • 2,000: The capacity of the new detention center set to open in Camp Blanding in Northeast Florida.
  • 110 miles per hour: The wind speed that the tent covering the Everglades facility can withstand.
  • 5: The number of people who have died in ICE custody in Florida this year.
  • 75: The age of Isidro Pérez, a Cuban immigrant who died at the Krome Service Processing Center on June 26.
  • June 1: The start of hurricane season.
  • June 17: The date on which a federal judge found Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt of court.
  • June 26: The date on which Isidro Pérez died at the Krome Service Processing Center.

Sources:

  • "US Senate after overnight debate unable to gain enough votes yet to pass GOP megabill" by the Florida Phoenix on July 1, 2025.
  • "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier found in contempt of court" by the Florida Phoenix on June 17, 2025.
  • "Environmental groups sue to stop Alligator Alcatraz from operating in the Everglades" by the Florida Phoenix on June 27, 2025.
  • "Protests and praise from Trump at Everglades detention center" by the Florida Phoenix on July 1, 2025.

Read more