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Released on June 27, 2025
Florida and federal officials have announced that the state will build a new immigration detention facility called “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, a wetland area south of the state. The facility will be partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), so some Floridians are worried about impacting hurricane relief funds.
Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem reads the X-Post June 23, “We are using the FEMA fund to build the Wannial Catraz concentration camp in Florida. At the beginning of hurricane season.”
Another June 23rd post states, “They are not protecting none by diverting the FEMA shelter fund, which aims to housing and aid, by the Florida building “Wannial Catraz.”
These claims came after the National Maritime and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which will take place from June 1 to November 30th.
The claims also say, following President Donald Trump, he wants to eliminate FEMA and let the state handle preparation and response to hurricanes and other disasters. NPR reported that it appears unprepared to respond to disasters under Trump due to management reform, employee departures and cancellation of programs that helped with disaster relief.
The “Wannial Catraz” facility has obtained the nickname from Alcatraz, the former largest security prison island in San Francisco Bay known for its isolation, safety and minimal prisoner privileges. The “crocodile” section is because the 39-square-mile facility is located remotely in the Everglades. The Everglades are a swampy area surrounded by alligators and pythons, and “no place to go, no place to hide,” according to a June 19 video posted by Florida lawyer General James Uciaire. The facility is located 6 miles north of Everglades National Park.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office told Politifact the facility will use temporary buildings and shelters similar to those used during natural disasters. The location will be an abandoned Dade Carrier Training and Transition Airport with an existing runway. The state will use the site under governor’s emergency.
The Department of Homeland Security posted it on X on June 23rd. The facility “posts that it is one of the efforts to realize American missions against mass deportation. Alligator Alcatraz will expand its facility and bed space in just a few days thanks to its partnership with Florida.”
The government allocates several FEMA funds to facilities, but does not use disaster relief funds.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management will build facilities for those arrested by Florida law enforcement for violations of immigration law. The U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) program delegates the authority to perform certain immigration functions to state and local law enforcement officers. Immigrants arrested in other states could also be transferred to facilities under Florida’s control.
How FEMA funds “Wannial Catraz”
A NOEM spokesman told Politifact on June 24 that the new Florida immigration detention facility will be funded primarily by FEMA’s shelter and services program. Information about the program is no longer available on the FEMA website, but a DHS spokesperson said FEMA has approximately $625 million in funding for that program that it can allocate to build the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility.
A DHS spokesman also said Florida would first make payments for the facility and then submit a refund request to FEMA and DHS.
DHS said the total cost of the facility would be around $450 million over a year. According to The New York Times, it will open 30-60 days after construction, which began on June 23rd. It opens in 500-1,000 beds, and is expected to have 5,000 beds by early July.
Congress approved FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program for 2023, funding state and local governments and nonprofits that provide temporary shelter, food and transportation to immigrants. The program is administered by FEMA, using money that Congress has given customs and border security. Prior to that, during the Trump administration, immigrants were helped through another FEMA program, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. This is for people facing homelessness and hunger.
FEMA disaster relief funds, which are primarily used after natural disasters, are funded separately by Congress.
During the 2024 presidential election, Trump falsely claimed that the Biden administration was stealing millions of people from FEMA’s Disaster Aid Fund to help immigrate. Funding for shelters and services programs is not the cost of disaster victims.
Politifact previously reported that in 2024, which began in October 2023 and ended September 2024, it had directed US Customs and Border Patrol to grant FEMA $650 million for the Shelter and Services program.
From 2021 to 2024, Congress allocated about $1.5 billion combined to both shelter and service programs and emergency food and shelter programs. The Trump administration has suspended funding for the emergency food and shelter program.
“Alligator Alcatraz” is just one of the ways Florida plans to illegally detain, process and deport immigrants in the United States.
Earlier this year, Florida offered to build an immigration detention site. The state’s “immigration enforcement operational plan” said it has identified several locations in the northeastern and south-central regions of the state that could serve as detention centres. The report said the location was “generally” near the runway to make the detention and deportation process “seamless.”
DeSantis said at a press conference on June 25th that the Florida National Guard training base Camp Branding Joint Training Center will soon be officially announced as an immigrant detention facility.
