Migrants would need to dodge alligators to escape Florida facility, says Trump

US President Donald Trump will turn a new immigration detention centre in a remote area of the Florida Everglades into a symbol of his border crackdown when he visits on TuesdayThe facility assembled on a remote airstrip with tents and trailers that are normally used after a natural disaster has been given the nickname Alligator Alcatraz a moniker that has alarmed immigrant activists but appeals to the Republican presidents aggressive approach to deportationsThis is not a nice business Trump said while leaving the White House in the morning Then he joked that were going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prisonDont run in a straight line Run like this he said as he moved his hand in a zigzag motion And you know what Your chances go up about 137That doesnt seem to be sound advice though Its best to dash in one direction in the rare situation when an alligator gives chase according to a website run by the University of FloridaAhead of Trumps arrival local authorities were positioned by the entrance of the airstrip Media vans and other vehicles were parked along the highway lined by cypress treesProtestors have often gathered near the facility which is about 50 miles 8047 km west of Miami and could house 5000 detainees Theyve criticised the potential impact on a delicate ecosystem and say Trump is trying to send a cruel message to immigrants while some Native American leaders have also opposed construction saying the land is sacredBut a key selling point for the Trump administration is the sites remoteness and the fact that it is in swampland filled with mosquitoes pythons and alligatorsThe White House hopes that conveys a message to detainees and the rest of the world that repercussions will be severe if the immigration laws of the United States are not followedTheres only one road leading in and the only way out is a oneway flight press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday It is isolated and it is surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrainCrackdowns on the USMexico border and harsh immigration policies have long been a centerpiece of Trumps political brandDuring his first term in 2019 Trump denied reports that he floated the idea of building a moat filled with alligators at the southern border I may be tough on Border Security but not that tough he said at the timeIn his second term Trump has suggested that his administration could move to reopen Alcatraz the notorious and hardtoreach island prison off San FranciscoThe White House has similarly promoted the political shock value of sending some immigrants awaiting deportation from the US to a detention lockup in Guantaacutenamo Bay Cuba and others to a megaprison in El SalvadorSome of the ideas have been impractical For example transforming Alcatraz from a tourist attraction into a prison would be very costly and Guantaacutenamo Bay is being used less often than administration officials originally envisionedHowever the new detention centre in the Everglades came together very quickly Former US Rep David Jolly of Florida a former Republican who is now running for governor as a Democrat called the facility a callous political stuntUS Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees are generally held for reasons like entering the country illegally or overstaying a visa They are either waiting for ICE to put them on the next flight or bus ride home or theyre fighting their removal in immigration courtIf an immigrant is accused of or has committed a violent crime he or she is tried and held in state or federal criminal jurisdiction separate from the immigration system In those cases they may be transferred to ICE for deportation after completing their criminal sentencesState officials are spearheading construction of the Florida facility but much of the cost is being covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which is best known for responding to hurricanes and other natural disastersFlorida Attorney General James Uthmeier whom Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has credited as the architect of the Everglades plan first debuted the proposal with a slickly produced video complete with custom graphics featuring redeyed alligators and a hard rock soundtrackThe Department of Homeland Security posted an image of alligators wearing ICE hats and sitting in front of a fencedin compound ringed with barbed wireThe Florida Republican Party has fundraised off the facility selling branded Tshirts and beverage container sleeves Florida Gov Ron DeSantis suggested Monday that the facility would be open and ready for business by the time Trump arrivesThe governor who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has also played up the fact that the site will be hard to escape fromThey aint going anywhere once theyre there unless you want them to go somewhere because good luck getting to civilisation DeSantis said So the security is amazingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated 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