What is Alligator Alcatraz?

Trump’s new migrant detention center, nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, sits deep in the Florida swamp.

Transcript

00:00Alcatraz sat on a rock isolated by water. This one sits in a swamp with alligators on guard.

00:05The old prison held hardened criminals. This new facility is built for migrants.

00:09It's called Alligator Alcatraz, built into President Donald Trump and it's ready.

00:13The original Alcatraz, located in San Francisco Bay, was one of the most secure prisons in US

00:18history. It housed notorious inmates like Al Capone and escape artist Frank Morris and became

00:23a symbol of absolute confinement. Today it's a museum, a landmark, a piece of American lore.

00:28Now, in Florida's Big Cypress Swamp, a new kind of facility draws comparisons.

00:33Not because of who it holds, but because of how and where it was built.

00:36Located deep in the Florida Everglades, the site is officially known as the Date Colia

00:40ICE Processing Center. It stands on a remote airstrip inside Big Cypress National Preserve,

00:45surrounded by wetlands and wildlife. Construction was completed in just 8 days in mid-2025,

00:50using emergency powers under the Trump administration. The facility can hold up to 5,000 people.

00:55It includes tents, trailers, nearly 30,000 feet of razor wire, over 200 surveillance cameras,

01:01and hundreds of federal personnel. No detainees have been brought in yet,

01:04but officials say it's part of a broader immigration enforcement plans.

01:08During a visit in July 2025, President Trump described the swamp as a natural barrier,

01:12saying you don't need guards when you have alligators.

01:15The project has drawn criticism from environmental groups, tribal communities,

01:22and civil liberties organizations. Lawsuits have been filed over its construction on

01:26federally protected land without public consultation. Supporters say the facility provides necessary

01:31capacity and enhances border control efforts. Critics question its legal basis, remote location,

01:37and future conditions for detainees. For now, alligator Alcatraz remains empty.

01:41But the fences are up, the cameras are on, the buses could come any day.