COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Supporters and protesters gathered Tuesday outside Florida’s newest migrant detention center — a controversial facility environmentalists have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” — as President Donald Trump visited the site to highlight his deportation plans.
The center, located near the edge of the Everglades in Collier County’s Ochopee area, has sparked backlash from environmental groups and immigration advocates, who say the project threatens protected wetlands and symbolizes a broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
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Chants echoed outside the facility as dozens of demonstrators waved signs and flags, some backing Trump and others calling for the center’s closure.
The facility was built to streamline the processing and deportation of undocumented immigrants and includes use of an existing airstrip for expedited removals.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has praised the project and hinted at future facilities, including one planned for the Jacksonville area.
Supporters of the center say it’s necessary to enforce immigration laws and protect border security.
“This is exactly the kind of strong leadership we need,” said Patricia Kline, who traveled from Naples for Trump’s visit. “Florida is doing what Washington won’t.”
But environmental concerns remain central to the opposition.
“There are no buildings, there’s no major infrastructure — and the reason is because this is preserved land,” said Holden Manning, one of the protesters.
Mae-Anna Osceola-Hart, a Seminole woman, said the detention center threatens more than just the land — it endangers her community’s connection to it.
“The Everglades are a sanctuary for us,” Osceola-Hart said. “There is nothing out here but alligators and pythons? My family’s property is 0.4 miles away from here. I am here, my family is here, my people are here.”
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Another protester, Chaunce O’Connor, expressed a more measured view.
“I guess one thing is to say it’s a good idea, but it’s not necessarily a good idea,” O’Connor said. “It’s obviously good to hold them somewhere — you can’t just overcrowd in (the) Krome (Detention Center) and you can’t let them loose on the streets. But in the long run, they should, and they have the funding and the property to hold people in other areas, inland, and that’s what they should do.”
Meanwhile, Trump supporters Todd and Maryanne Kepschull said they came to show support for what they see as the president delivering on a major campaign promise.
“A lot of illegal people came in here and they need to leave or become legal in some other way,” said Todd Kepschull. “It doesn’t happen enough, and this guy does it.”
DHS: $450 million a year to operate Alligator Alcatraz, FEMA reimbursement likely
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Local 10’s Christina Vazquez that the total cost to operate the center is approximately $450 million for one year.
The State of Florida will cover the expense initially, but plans to seek reimbursement through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program, which currently holds about $625 million in available funds.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.”
The use of FEMA funding — as hurricane season begins — has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and environmental groups.
Critics argue the plan diverts disaster relief resources at a time when Florida is vulnerable to powerful storms.
State planning rapid expansion to 5,000 beds
The facility is part of a larger, rapidly unfolding plan by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
According to state officials, the site will eventually house up to 5,000 beds, with several locations under consideration — including the Alligator Alcatraz compound.
Officials said the temporary soft-sided structure housing 500 to 1,000 beds is expected to be operational within days, with capacity expanding in 500-bed increments until reaching the 5,000-bed goal by early July. Officials said hardened structures may follow.
Florida also plans to use refurbished FEMA trailers — previously deployed during past natural disasters — to house staff and workers. The state acquired the trailers and has renovated them as a low-cost infrastructure solution.
Aliens arrested by Florida law enforcement under the federal 287(g) program — a partnership that allows local officers to act as immigration agents — will be processed at the facility.
Local 10’s Linnie Supall reported from the scene as tensions flared throughout the afternoon. While the protest remained largely peaceful, law enforcement maintained a strong presence around the perimeter of the facility.
Environmental groups, including Protect the Everglades Now and Forever, filed a lawsuit last week in a failed attempt to halt construction, citing concerns about wetland destruction and endangered species. They say they plan to continue legal action.
The nickname Alligator Alcatraz — a reference to both the Everglades habitat and the facility’s purpose — has been adopted by critics who view the project as harsh and symbolic of Trump’s hardline immigration stance.
As Trump’s campaign continues to focus on immigration, the center’s opening marks a high-profile moment in Florida’s role in federal enforcement efforts.