(AURN News) — Deportation flights from Florida’s new Everglades detention site, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” are officially underway. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed that two to three flights have already left the site, transferring about 100 detainees, with more expected.
But here’s what makes it different: The facility isn’t just remote — it’s intentional. It’s built on 10 square miles of swampy terrain, teeming with snakes and gators. The site is about 50 miles west of Miami and is outfitted with barbed wire, 200 cameras and its own runway. It currently holds 2,000 immigrants, with plans to double that number.
DeSantis said the goal is rapid deportation — not indefinite detention. He’s now asking the Justice Department to allow onsite immigration judges to speed up the process.
Critics call it cruel, unconventional and unconstitutional. Some say it is a state-run facility serving federal immigration purposes — and environmental lawsuits are already underway over its secretive construction.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
