FILE-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) as prisoners stand, looking out from a cell, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 26, 2025. (Photo by ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Image …
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem believes "Alligator Alcatraz" not only can serve as a model for detention centers nationwide, but she wants to open similar facilities in other states.
Noem told CBS News in a recent interview that Arizona, Nebraska, and Louisiana are being considered as possible sites for detention centers like "Alligator Alcatraz."
RELATED: Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: See who’s being held at the remote detention site
She also told the news outlet the locations officials are evaluating are near airport runways and added that she has reached out to governors and state leaders about the initiative.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s office provided a statement Tuesday to the Nebraska Examiner, saying that his team "continues to be in communication with federal partners on how Nebraska can best assist in these efforts, but added that it "was premature to comment on potential detention operations, and that he will make details public at the appropriate time."
What is "Alligator Alcatraz"?
The backstory:
The detention center nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" consists of large white tents with cage-like enclosures, housing hundreds of immigrants under reportedly extreme conditions.
The facility is expected to cost taxpayers roughly $450 million annually, with $245 per bed per day in operating expenses. Officials say Florida will seek reimbursement from the Department of Homeland Security through FEMA funds.
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The concept for the facility originated from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which used emergency powers to authorize construction. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the initiative on Fox News, lauding it as part of a larger crackdown on immigration.
But detainees and advocates have described troubling conditions inside the facility like worms in food, broken toilets, and no access to showers or medical care for days at a time. At least one minor, a 15-year-old Mexican boy, is reportedly being held there.
Attorneys contend they’ve been unable to meet clients in person or even get confirmation on their location, raising major concerns regarding due process.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting, The Hill, and the Nebraska Examiner, which cites a statement from the Nebraska governor. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.