Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Saturday that she is in talks with five more Republican governors to develop new large-scale immigrant detention facilities in their respective states.
The announcement follows shortly after the opening of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new immigrant detention facility located in the Everglades that is jointly run by state officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Noem teased the facilities’ development in remarks to the media from Tampa, Florida, saying that those states, which she declined to name but have Republican governors, are using Alligator Alcatraz as a “model.”
“We’re looking at other locations as well. We’ve had several other states that are actually using Alligator Alcatraz as a model for how they can partner with us as well,” she said.
The homeland security secretary also revealed that those talks with the Republican governors are “ongoing,” with announcements on any planned immigrant detention facilities “coming soon.”
“As you all know, we need to double our capacity and detention beds because we need to facilitate getting people out of this country as fast as possible and to sustain our operations,” Noem added.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was the first governor to partner with the Trump administration on an expansion of immigrant detention facilities and even received a visit from President Donald Trump on the day of Alligator Alcatraz’s opening.
Alligator Alcatraz, which received its first detainees on July 1, can hold up to 3,000 people and is surrounded by thousands of alligators in the nearby swampland. The area is so treacherous that officials view the threat the gators pose as nearly enough to deter detainees from escaping.
During his visit of the facility, Trump, mentioning the gators’ presence in the area, said the only escape route for migrants detained there is “deportation.”
A DAY WITH FLORIDA STATE TROOPERS NABBING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOR ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’
Noem concluded her announcement on Saturday by urging Democratic governors to work with the administration on immigration as well while praising the “fantastic” Republican governors she has been in touch with.
“Those governors have been fantastic. I will tell you, they are all Republicans. So I would challenge some Democrats to start taking care of your states, partner with us,” she said.
