President Donald Trump paid a visit to the newly opened immigrant detention center in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Supporters and protesters converged to make their thoughts heard, traveling from both coasts of the state, as well as Miccosukee natives living near the facility.
“We are dealing with a storm,” said Jae Williams, spokesman for Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “And the storm’s name is immigration.”
The $450 million facility was funded using Florida emergency funding, with the federal government pledging to repay Florida using FEMA money. The detention center was constructed using temporary structures on top of an airfield and can hold approximately 3,000 detainees.
Opponents of the project claim that the facility will harm the Everglades ecosystem.
“It’s got to stop, you know? They’re destroying our lands, they’re destroying our livelihoods, our spirit,” Paola Michelle Andrade, a protestor, said.
Alligator Alcatraz is a part of Trump’s nationwide push to increase deportation rates. Still, it sits in the middle of both a national park and land belonging to the Miccosukee Native American tribe.
“Andrew Jackson chased us down here from our original homeland, and we just have this little piece of land, and they’re already over here trying to encroach on it,” said Migathe Foolscrow Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. “It’s all illegal. That’s why they stopped in the first place…We have ceremony grounds everywhere, burial sites everywhere that we still use today.”
“Bottom line is this is an area that could be used, makes sense, they could do another one up in Jacksonville,” Bob Kuntz, an Alligator Alcatraz supporter, said. “You probably have a million illegals in the state.”
During the demonstrations outside the facility, Enrique Tarrio made an appearance. Tarrio is the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right militant group. Other members of the group joined him.
Tarrio claimed he met with President Trump during his visit to Florida.
Florida officials utilized knowledge gained from hurricane response to construct the detention center in just eight days.
“We understand how to act fast without bureaucracy in the face of any emergency,” said Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, sitting alongside DeSantis and Trump in one of the temporary shelters during an unveiling event at the facility. “We’re able to translate this knowledge to what we did here,” Guthrie added.
The facility has already received its first detainees and plans to expand to hold 5,000 by the end of July.
