 "Trump tours 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center in Florida. Image: AFP")
US President Donald Trump visited an immigration detention center in Florida on Tuesday, joking that the alligators in the nearby swamps could act as guards. He was joined by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The facility, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is located about 50 kilometers west of Miami on a remote airstrip in the Florida Everglades, an area full of alligators, pythons, and mosquitoes.
“Very soon this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” Trump said during the visit, according to AFP.
He added, “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation.”
The tough conditions reflect the Trump administration’s strict approach to illegal immigration.
Joking about the alligators, Trump said, “A lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops in the form of alligators — you don’t have to pay them so much. I wouldn’t want to run through the Everglades for long. It’ll keep people where they’re supposed to be.”
Before his visit, Trump also joked about teaching detainees how to escape alligators if they tried to run away.
“We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison,” he said, demonstrating a zigzag motion with his hands. “Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this…And you know what? Your chances go up about 1 per cent,” he said, as reported by AP.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsGovernor DeSantis said the center would begin housing detainees on Wednesday. Built in just eight days, it can hold up to 3,000 people, AP reported.
The camp has over 200 security cameras, more than 28,000 feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire, and 400 security personnel to keep it secure.