Florida crews rush to finish ICE’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ ahead of Trump arrival

Published July 1, 2025 7:00am ET



EVERGLADES, Florida — President Donald Trump on Tuesday will tour Alligator Alcatraz, a newly completed, federally run immigrant detention facility in the heart of Florida swampland, following hours of constant construction in the lead-up to his arrival.

Dozens of dump trucks were seen on Monday going in and out of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, roughly 50 miles west of coastal Miami. Trucks and construction crews rushed to complete the tentlike structures and infrastructure for the new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention site with less than 24 hours before the commander in chief’s arrival.

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