Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that deportation flights have begun to remove immigrants detained in “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The facility, located in Ochopee, Florida, adjacent to the Big Cypress National Preserve, was originally an old airfield that has been converted into tent structures capable of accommodating up to approximately 2,000 people, with plans to double that number in the future.
“I’m pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We’ve already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we’ve had hundreds of illegals have been removed from here,” DeSantis said during the news conference.
He noted that some are being sent to other facilities, while others are being sent to other countries.
The purpose of the facility, which got its name because it is surrounded by alligators in the Everglades — making escape risky — is to fulfill President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States.
Dianne Mourer waves an American flag as Rana Mourer stands in front of a sign reading “Alligator Alcatraz” outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Facility, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. | Alexandra Rodriguez
“President Trump declared and wanted and ordered the largest mass deportation mission in history. That is what we’re doing here,” Larry Keefe, the executive director of Florida’s Board of Immigration Enforcement, said on Friday, giving a warning to immigrants living illegally in the country.
“I want to say this humanely and with respect,” Keefe said. “It’s critical to know and not said enough in my opinion is that if you put off thinking you can take the risk” of living in the U.S. illegally, thinking it’ll work out, “you should think again. Because if you are arrested and you come to a place like Alligator Alcatraz, you are not eligible for CBP home,” the self-deportation option under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
After the conference, DeSantis posted on social media that Florida is leading the country in immigration enforcement.
“We’re stepping up every day to be the federal government’s strongest partner in upholding the rule of law. Deportation flights out of Alligator Alcatraz are underway, and we will continue working with ICE to remove illegal aliens from our country swiftly and efficiently.”
When asked to comment on the deportation flights headed by DHS, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin only replied, “Fire up the deportation planes,” per Fox News.