Florida and federal officials have made that medieval fever dream a reality.
Trump and a retinue of his favored dignitaries toured Alligator Alcatraz, the sprawling 39-square-mile site, located 50 miles west of downtown Miami at a decades-old airstrip. "Very soon, this facility will house some of the most treacherous people on the planet," Trump said.
On this occasion, at least, the president notorious for prevaricating wasn't lying. Officials said the facility, which is surrounded by miles of alligator-inhabited Everglades on all sides, opened to detainees after Trump departed.
Trump said he was joking when he mentioned putting African crocodiles in the Rio Grande to discourage immigrants from crossing the southern border. "But it sounded better the more I thought about it," he said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier decided to turn Trump's fantasy into a reality.
A little over a week ago, Uthmeier pitched the idea of building Alligator Alcatraz to house about 5,000 immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And now here we are.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management will oversee the facility's operations with help from the National Guard, at an estimated cost of $450 million per year, with the option to seek federal reimbursement, officials said Tuesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program has reportedly allocated $625 million to support the state’s project.
Uthmeier's brainchild comes to fruition as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, tripling its stated daily arrest quota from 1,000 to 3,000. It also comes after months of DeSantis and his cabinet pushing for more power from the federal government to detain, house, and deport immigrants.
Using emergency powers granted to the Florida governor under a 2023 state of emergency declaration over illegal immigration, Florida officials began construction on the site in late June. (Under Florida law, the governor may commandeer or use private property if it's deemed necessary to "cope" with an emergency.)
The president and his entourage, which included DeSantis, political advisor Stephen Miller, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, arrived in Ochopee before a motorcade conveyed the group to the site.
Following the tour, Noem, who eschewed law enforcement cosplay for a sleeveless white dress accented by a white MAGA cap with gold lettering, hailed the site and said other states should follow suit.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks to reporters after touring Alligator Alcatraz in South Florida Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
DeSantis, Noem, and Trump took turns blaming former president Joe Biden for welcoming millions of "dangerous" immigrants into the country
"We're going after murderers, rapists, traffickers, and drug dealers, getting them off the streets and out of the country because Joe Biden let in the worst of the worst," the Homeland Security secretary said before sharing an anecdote she attributed to the U.S. Marshals Service.
"They detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home. And, while he was in his seat, he started to eat himself," Noem reported.
"These are the kind of deranged individuals who are on our streets in America who we're trying to target and get out of our country."
