What has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the state-built migrant processing center in the Everglades, seems to be almost complete.
New aerial video from NBC6 shows the dramatic change from Tuesday, when just the frame of tents could be observed to Thursday, when multiple fully built tents could be seen from the news helicopter.
Earlier Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked about public environmental concerns over the use of the site, an old air strip at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport located about an hour and 45 minutes west of Miami.
The State of Florida is using emergency powers to take over the county-owned land to construct a migrant processing center that can detain up to 5,000 migrants.
“ICE has limited ability to hold and process them. They have limited capacity,” DeSantis said at the press conference on the campus of Florida Atlantic University, adding the need to help the federal government in its mission to deport migrants.
“Any sense that somehow this is going to have any impact at all on the overall Everglades, there is zero impact,” said DeSantis, who has been an advocate for the Everglades, often times touting the millions of dollars the state has used for restoration of the vital eco system.
What has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the state-built migrant processing center in the Everglades, seems to be almost complete.
“I thought it was a joke,” said Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida.
Oscela said the land is her people’s homeland and a fragile ecosystem that needs to be protected.
“I have safety concerns of the high traffic, the quality of the air, whether there are any spills, whether it’s sewage or whatever it is they have to use to maintain this area,” Osceola said.
When asked about cost, DeSantis did not provide figures but said the federal government will reimburse the state of Florida for expenses.
DeSantis also mentioned his administration is looking to make Camp Blanding, outside of Jacksonville, the second processing center for migrants.
Both locations, he said, should be used to transfer migrants in and out.
“What I’m not going to do is just us being there to house and feed indefinitely just for the sake of doing that. I don’t have interest in doing that,” he said.
He also mentioned the possibility the state might buy the land.
“We would look at potentially just disbanding the facility but that facility has been there for a long time,” DeSantis said.
Those opposed to the migrant processing center are planning a protest this Saturday, June 28, outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
