Alligator Alcatraz: Deportation flights underway, 'hundreds' already removed, per DeSantis
Deportation flights begin at 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke Friday morning at the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Everglades. DeSantis provided an update on deportation flights now operating from the facility?s on-site runway, highlighting its role in accelerating the removal of detainees. FOX 35's Marie Edinger breaks down what was discussed.
OCHOPEE, Fla. - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke Friday morning at the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Everglades.
DeSantis provided an update on deportation flights now operating from the facility’s on-site runway, highlighting its role in accelerating the removal of detainees.
The Florida governor was joined at the news conference by the following top state officials:
- Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Wilton Simpson
- Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia
- Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe
What we know:
DeSantis emphasized the purpose of the detention facility at the news conference: to increase the frequency and numbers of deporting undocumented immigrants.
He highlighted the site’s runway, which enables the use of commercial-sized aircraft to deport detainees directly from the facility, eliminating the need for an hour-long trip to the nearest airport.
The onsite airport conducts both day and nighttime operations.
FULL REMARKS: DeSantis speaks at Alligator Alcatraz
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and top state officials spoke Friday morning at the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Everglades. DeSantis provided an update on deportation flights now operating from the facility’s on-site runway, highlighting its role in accelerating the removal of detainees.
How many detainees have been deported from Alligator Alcatraz?
What they're saying:
DeSantis announced flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have already begun and "hundreds" have been removed.
"This was never intended to be something where people are just, held, and we just kind of twiddle our thumbs. The whole purpose is to make this be a place that can facilitate increased frequency and numbers of deportation of illegal aliens, and that is the goal. And one of the reasons why this was a sensible spot is because you have this runway that's right here," DeSantis said.
"We've already had a number of flights. In the last few days, we've had, hundreds of illegals have been removed from here," the governor added.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attends a roundtable discussion after touring a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on July 1, 2025. Presiden
What is Alligator Alcatraz?
The backstory:
Florida's controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center opened on July 1, and the first group of detainees arrived on July 3. The opening day event was marked by a visit from President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
DeSantis said the facility can "easily" house 3,000 to 4,000 detainees.
Aerial view of structures, including gigantic tents built at the recently opened migrant detention center Alligator Alcatraz, located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 4, 2025. (Pedro Portal/
The facility, located in the Florida Everglades at the abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, was quickly constructed and named "Alligator Alcatraz" to highlight its remote and swampy location. The opening of the facility was a collaborative effort between Florida and the federal government, with DeSantis using emergency powers to take over the site.
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The 5,000-bed immigration detention center is built out of temporary tents, trailers and chain-link fences with barbed wire. It is surrounded by alligators, pythons, mosquitos and swampland, and is at risk of dangerous flooding.
A Florida Highway Patrol officer looks on as protesters gather to demand the closure of the immigrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 22, 2025. Immigrants
Critics of the facility, including Rep. Maxwell Frost, say the site is inhumane, while supporters argue the system is overwhelmed. Members of Congress who have visited the site report abysmal conditions, including searing hot temperatures, lack of access to water, backed-up toilets and sewage, inadequate food, and denial of religious rights.
RELATED LINKS:
- 'Alligator Alcatraz': DeSantis says Florida's immigration detention center has 'zero impact' on Everglades
- 'Alligator Alcatraz': Democratic lawmakers denied entry to inspect Florida detention center
- Alligator Alcatraz in Florida: Pictures, map, Trump's visit; what you need to know
TOPSHOT - An aerial view of a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," is seen located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on July 7, 2025. The $450 million camp has been built on a disuse
Dig deeper:
Previously, DeSantis also announced plans to build a second detention facility at North Florida’s Camp Blanding, a training site for the Florida National Guard. He said plans for the facility would move forward "once there’s a demand" for bed space and more detainees are housed at the Everglades site.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Governor's Office as well as previous FOX 35 reporting.