Self-deport or face detention with alligators, pythons: US warns migrants

Florida opens 'Alligator Alcatraz' as US warns migrants to self-deport or face fines and detention

A newly constructed immigration detention centre in the depths of the Florida Everglades, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”, is all set to house hundreds of detainees. Florida officials said the first group of migrants will be brought in by bus over the next few days.

 

The facility, located around 80 km west of Miami, sits in an area swarming with pythons and alligators. It has become a key part of the Trump administration’s push to step up deportations and deter undocumented migration.

 

“If you (undocumented immigrants) don’t self-deport, you may end up here,” South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem told the New York Post. “And you may end up here and being processed, deported out of this country, and never get the chance to come back,” she added.

 

Trump wants similar centres in more states

 

On July 2, US President Donald Trump toured the detention facility and described it as a possible template for other immigration lockups across the country. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he’d like to see “similar centres in really, many states,” and also floated the idea of using Florida National Guard members as immigration judges to speed up deportation hearings.

 

“Pretty soon, this facility will handle the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” Trump said.

 

During the visit, Trump also made a joke about the wildlife around the centre. “We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison,” he said, while mimicking a zigzag motion with his hand. “Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this. And you know what? Your chances go up about 1 per cent.”

 

According to the University of Florida, the better option in the rare event of an alligator chase is simply to run straight and fast in one direction.

 

While early estimates suggested the site could accommodate 5,000 people, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis clarified that the actual capacity would be closer to 3,000. 

 

Push for voluntary departure via mobile app

 

As part of the broader crackdown, the Trump administration has repurposed a mobile app once used for scheduling asylum appointments. The app, now called CBP Home, allows undocumented migrants to submit an “intent to depart”.

 

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the feature offers a chance to leave voluntarily, which could help migrants avoid harsher penalties in the future.

 

Daily fines for overstaying deportation orders

 

The Department of Homeland Security has also revived a little-used law from 1996 that penalises individuals who fail to comply with deportation orders.

 

“If they don’t, they will face the consequences. This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order,” DHS posted on X on April 11.

 

The rule had been enforced briefly in 2018 and is now being brought back with the possibility of retroactive application for up to five years.