MIAMI, Fla. — Right now, President Trump is on his way to Alligator Alcatraz: The controversial holding center for illegal migrants, in the middle of the Florida Everglades.
Some people in favor of the project say this is the right way to go about this, making sure illegal immigrants are deported.
WPTV is also speaking to environmentalists and Native Americans in this area who say this is not correct.
President Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and several officials are expected to arrive at the center this morning for the site’s opening.
The facility is expected to have 5,000 beds for immigrant detention.
It sits on an isolated airstrip, land belonging to Miami-Dade County, which DeSantis seized the land of using emergency powers.
This all came together in about a week.
WPTV reporter Victor Jorges is talking to people there who decided to come out and protest or praise the project ahead of the president’s visit.
Phyllis Andrews drove to the site from Naples, Florida. She said she came out to protest peacefully because she knows an asylum seeker, and she doesn’t want to see him struggle at the facility.
“We don't want this prison here, she said. “There's no reason for this prison here.”
We also spoke to Kailani Osceola, who said she lives around 4 miles away from where the facility sits today.
“It's just awful,” she said. “They're gonna hurt the habitat, the animals, and we're just fighting for the immigrants.”
Others are showing up in favor of the prophet and recent actions from the Trump administration. Bob Kunst said he feels like it’s what’s right.
“Let him do what he's doing,” he said. “I think this is a great idea, and you know, let's get the trash out of here once and for all, and if you want to come back, do it legally.”
There are also plans emerging about a potential expansion of similar sites around the state. Plans from the Department of Emergency Management say it “identified several brick-and-mortar locations in the northeastern and south-central regions of the state that could serve as detention centers.”
