OCHOPEE, FL – Flights out of Alligator Alcatraz have begun taking off earlier in July, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis applauding the swift removal of illegal aliens from the country.
Alligator Alcatraz, the rapidly established immigration detention center located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport within Big Cypress National Preserve, has been at the center of polarizing reception since its debut this past June.
Proponents of strong immigration enforcement have treated the facility as a sort of symbolic changing of the guard, whereas critics of the current administration have characterized the facility as being inhumane.
Regardless of public sentiment toward the detention facility, deportation efforts have been in full swing under the Trump administration, with Florida Governor DeSantis cheerfully sharing the news on July 25th that flights have started taking off from the facility.
Speaking to the press, Governor DeSantis said, “I'm pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We've already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we've had hundreds of illegals [that] have been removed from here.”
Considering Alligator Alcatraz is situated squarely beside a runway, the facility is optimized to expedite removals, a point Governor DeSantis emphasized during the press conference.
“The whole purpose is to make this be a place that can facilitate increased frequency and numbers of deportations of illegal aliens, and that is the goal,” the Florida governor said, adding, “And one of the reasons why this was a sensible spot is because you have this runway that's right here. You don't have to drive them an hour to an airport. You go a couple thousand feet, and they can be on a plane and out of here.”
Frequency of deportation flights is also no issue for the facility, according to Governor DeSantis, telling members of the press, “This airport is able to accept commercial-sized aircraft and conduct both, both day and nighttime operations.”
As the facility stands currently, the Florida Division of Emergency Management notes the detention center has the capacity to hold up to 2,000 detainees but officials say plans are in motion to increase the capacity to 4,000 detainees in the future.
Alligator Alcatraz, the rapidly established immigration detention center located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport within Big Cypress National Preserve, has been at the center of polarizing reception since its debut this past June.
Proponents of strong immigration enforcement have treated the facility as a sort of symbolic changing of the guard, whereas critics of the current administration have characterized the facility as being inhumane.
Regardless of public sentiment toward the detention facility, deportation efforts have been in full swing under the Trump administration, with Florida Governor DeSantis cheerfully sharing the news on July 25th that flights have started taking off from the facility.
Speaking to the press, Governor DeSantis said, “I'm pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We've already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we've had hundreds of illegals [that] have been removed from here.”
Considering Alligator Alcatraz is situated squarely beside a runway, the facility is optimized to expedite removals, a point Governor DeSantis emphasized during the press conference.
“The whole purpose is to make this be a place that can facilitate increased frequency and numbers of deportations of illegal aliens, and that is the goal,” the Florida governor said, adding, “And one of the reasons why this was a sensible spot is because you have this runway that's right here. You don't have to drive them an hour to an airport. You go a couple thousand feet, and they can be on a plane and out of here.”
Frequency of deportation flights is also no issue for the facility, according to Governor DeSantis, telling members of the press, “This airport is able to accept commercial-sized aircraft and conduct both, both day and nighttime operations.”
As the facility stands currently, the Florida Division of Emergency Management notes the detention center has the capacity to hold up to 2,000 detainees but officials say plans are in motion to increase the capacity to 4,000 detainees in the future.
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