Trump to attend opening of
CBS1 day
Trump Visits 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center in Florida
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump on a tour of "Alligator Alcatraz" on July 1, 2025. Image copyright: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
This facility is an efficient, cost-effective solution to America's immigration crisis that voters demanded. The natural security provided by the Everglades eliminates expensive perimeter investments while ensuring criminals cannot escape into communities. Florida is leading by example in supporting Trump's mass deportation mandate.
Democratic narrative
This detention center is a cruel political stunt that shows Trump and his administration are brutally dehumanizing immigrants. Housing thousands in tents during hurricane season in sweltering heat represents a level of cruelty that defies basic human dignity all in the name of Trump appealing to his base through conservative television networks.