Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed on Friday that deportation flights from the newly-opened Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in the Everglades have started.
DeSantis confirmed this development at a press conference at the facility.
“The flights are going, I think the cadence is going to increase, I think you’re going to see the numbers really go up dramatically,” the governor said, pointing out that the first deportation flight had over 100 illegal aliens on board.
“I don’t want it to be where illegals are just stored there [at the facility], and then just kind of sitting. I want it to be where illegals are here, there’s an aggressive processing and an aggressive deportation schedule,” he continued.
Governor DeSantis Speaks from Alligator Alcatraz https://t.co/AJeIVThH7O
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 25, 2025
Led by Democratic Reps. Janelle Bynum (OR) and Maxwell Frost (FL), the House Democrats demanded that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons shut the facility down.
In the letter, the lawmakers called the facility an “inhumane stunt.”
“This remote swamp is notorious for oppressive heat, relentless humidity, severe storms, and perilous terrain infested with venomous snakes, disease-carrying insects, and large predatory wildlife, including alligators and crocodiles,” they wrote. “The intentional remote placement of this detention center makes it nearly impossible for separated family members and children to visit their detained loved ones, legal counsel to meet with their clients, and elected officials to provide oversight of the encampment. The deliberate placement of vulnerable immigrants into such a hostile and lethal environment is morally reprehensible, inherently cruel, and starkly violates basic humanitarian standards.”
Some Democrats who were denied access to Alligator Alcatraz ended up suing DeSantis, as Townhall also covered.
DeSantis’ office responded to the lawsuit, calling it “dumb” and “frivolous.”
“The State is looking forward to quickly dispensing with this dumb lawsuit,” DeSantis spokesperson Molly Best said in a statement.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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