DeSantis Confirms First Deportation Flights Underway from Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
DeSantis Confirms First Deportation Flights Underway from Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Deportation flights have commenced from Florida’s controversial Everglades immigration detention center, dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Governor Ron DeSantis announced Friday. Approximately 100 detainees have already been transferred to other countries via flights operated by the Department of Homeland Security, with DeSantis anticipating a significant increase in these numbers.
Speaking near the remote South Florida facility, DeSantis stated that two to three flights have departed so far, though specific destinations were not disclosed. The governor and other Republican officials defend the facility as a critical component of the state’s stringent immigration enforcement efforts, aligning with former President Donald Trump’s crackdown policies.
Critics have condemned the detention center as inhumane, while proponents emphasize its strategic location—about 50 miles west of Miami, teeming with wildlife—as a deterrent. Built rapidly across 10 square miles of the Everglades, the site boasts extensive security features, including over 200 cameras, five miles of barbed wire, and 400 security personnel. Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie confirmed Friday that the facility currently holds around 2,000 people, with potential to double its capacity.
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