U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend the official opening of a controversial new migrant detention center on Tuesday, located deep in the Florida Everglades. Nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the facility is being touted by the White House as a symbol of Trump’s escalating campaign to ramp up deportations across the country.

The center, situated at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport approximately 37 miles from Miami, is surrounded by dense wetlands known for their population of alligators, crocodiles, and pythons. According to Reuters, the White House has leaned into the site’s symbolism to illustrate the administration’s determination to reverse what it calls lenient immigration policies under former President Joe Biden.

A woman carring a backpack depicting the Mexican flag stands next to a sign as pro-immigrant protesters, environmental groups, Everglades advocates, members of the Miccosukee Native American community and residents gather outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as they rally against the state’s forthcoming “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello

“One Way In, One Way Out”

“This is an efficient and low-cost way to help carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in American history,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing on Monday. “There is only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight.”

The center is expected to house up to 5,000 people and will reportedly cost $450 million annually to operate. A portion of the funding will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also pledged to send 100 National Guard troops to the facility.

People demonstrate as pro-immigrant protesters, environmental groups, Everglades advocates, members of the Miccosukee Native American community and residents gather outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as they rally against the state’s forthcoming “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello

Push for Funding Before July 4

The detention center’s opening comes as Trump presses lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass a sweeping spending bill before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. The proposed legislation includes billions in additional funding for immigration enforcement, along with several of Trump’s broader tax and spending priorities.

A security worker closes a gate at Delaney Hall, a 1,000-person detention center operated by private prison company GEO Group for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Trump, who has made hardline immigration policy a cornerstone of his political agenda for over a decade, has pledged to deport up to one million people annually. That promise has collided with local opposition, legal challenges, labor market demands, and mounting fiscal pressures on the federal government.

Federal immigration detention numbers have surged from 39,000 in January to 56,000 as of mid-June, reflecting the administration’s push for more capacity.

Migrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement officers stand on the tarmac, after being transferred from an ICE detention facility, at Gary/Chicago International Airport, in Gary, Indiana, U.S., June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Protests and Tribal Opposition

Despite the administration’s support for the facility, the project has sparked protests from local communities, including opposition from leaders of the nearby Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. Environmental concerns have also been raised due to the sensitive ecology of the Everglades.

Betty Osceola of the Miccosukee Panther Clan uses a bullhorn as pro-immigrant protesters, environmental groups, Everglades advocates, members of the Miccosukee Native American community and residents gather outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as they rally against the state’s forthcoming “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello

Over the weekend, demonstrators gathered near the site to express their objections to the detention center.

Gators and Branding

U.S. officials have promoted the new facility through social media, sharing images of alligators wearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hats. Meanwhile, the Florida Republican Party is marketing gator-themed apparel and beer koozies as part of the campaign to rally public support.

SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB A man holds a sign as pro-immigrant protesters, environmental groups, Everglades advocates, members of the Miccosukee Native American community and residents gather outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as they rally against the state’s forthcoming “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello

Legal and Ethical Questions Remain

Some migrants held in temporary detention facilities have already challenged the legality of their detentions, with concerns mounting over conditions and access to legal representation. Trump has previously expressed admiration for large, remote detention sites in countries like El Salvador, and his administration has utilized the Guantanamo Bay naval base to hold migrants — a facility more widely known for detaining terrorism suspects.

An alligator rests on the surface of the water nearby the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as people rally against the state’s forthcoming “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention center in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello