Florida Begins Mass Deportations From Everglades Alligator Alcatraz Detention Center

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that deportation flights have commenced from the remote immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz, located in the Everglades. The facility, which can hold up to 3,000 detainees and is managed by Florida and federal agencies, was established to support President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration by facilitating increased deportations. Approximately 100 detainees have been deported so far on two or three flights, with numbers expected to rise, though the destinations of the flights have not been disclosed. The detention center, constructed on a 39-square-mile former airport site, houses migrants in tents and trailers with air conditioning, and is surrounded by Everglades wildlife, which partly inspired its nickname. Despite criticism of the center as inhumane, DeSantis defended the facility and revealed plans to grant Florida National Guard lawyers federal immigration judge powers to speed up case adjudications. Cases such as two Mexican brothers detained after a traffic stop highlight the human impact, with family members and Mexican officials urging for their repatriation amid concerns about conditions inside the facility.