FLORIDA — While signing a new law on data centers in Lakeland, Governor Ron DeSantis was asked about the Everglades Airport detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” and said it has processed nearly 22,000 migrants for deportation since opening last summer.
WATCH: News conference
The site was created after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested additional bed space to hold individuals apprehended in Florida. He said without the facility, those detainees would have been released due to limited federal capacity.
DeSantis described the facility as a bridge until DHS secured more detention space nationwide. He reiterated it was always intended to be temporary, with all operating expenses reimbursable by the federal government. And that they will continue to work with DHS if needed, but could shut down the facility as federal capacity to hold and process migrants increases.
Pasco mother asks county to keep roadside memorial honoring son killed in crash
A Pasco County mother is asking county leaders not to remove a roadside memorial honoring her 4-year-old son, who was killed in a crash.
