COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Construction of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new immigration detention facility, has begun after Florida leaders approved the plan on Monday.
NBC affiliate WBBH reported that the facility will be located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, an abandoned airstrip that straddles the Miami-Dade and Collier County line.
State officials told the news station that the site will house about 5,000 immigrants living in the U.S. illegally starting in July 2025.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the location will allow for efficient processing and deportation, while the natural environment—home to alligators, pythons, and panthers—would act as a deterrent to escapes…