Is ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention centre funded by Florida hurricane money?

Florida and national officials announced the authorities volition physique a caller migration detention installation dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” successful the Everglades – an country of wetlands successful the southbound of the state. Because the installation volition beryllium partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), immoderate Floridians are disquieted it volition impact hurricane alleviation funds.

Homeland Security’s Secretary Kristi Noem “is utilizing FEMA funds to physique her Alligator Alcatraz attraction campy successful Florida. At the opening of hurricane season”, reads a June 23 X post, “when we can’t wage our bills oregon money meals for kids and the elderly.”

Another June 23 X station reads: “Florida’s gathering ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ by diverting FEMA structure funds meant for lodging and aid. They’re not protecting anyone, they’re stealing exigency alleviation wealth to physique detention centers successful a swamp. Cruelty is ever the point.”

These claims travel aft the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a more-active-than-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

The claims besides travel President Donald Trump saying he wants to destruct FEMA and person states grip mentation and effect to hurricanes and different disasters. NPR reported that FEMA appears little acceptable to respond to disasters nether Trump due to the fact that of a absorption shake-up, worker departures and the cancellation of a programme that helped with catastrophe relief.

The “Alligator Alcatraz” installation gets its nickname from Alcatraz, the erstwhile maximum-security situation land successful San Francisco Bay known for its isolation, information and minimal inmate privileges. The “Alligator” portion is due to the fact that the 39-square-mile installation volition beryllium located remotely successful the Everglades, a swampy portion surrounded by alligators and pythons, wherever “there’s obscurity to go, obscurity to hide”, according to a June 19 video posted by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. The installation would beryllium six miles northbound of Everglades National Park.

Governor Ron DeSantis’s bureau told PolitiFact the installation volition usage impermanent buildings and shelters akin to those utilized during earthy disasters. The determination volition beryllium the abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which has an existing airstrip. The authorities volition usage the tract nether the governor’s emergency powers.

The Department of Homeland Security posted connected June 23 connected X that the installation is among its efforts to “deliver connected the American people’s mandate for wide deportations. Alligator Alcatraz volition grow facilities and furniture abstraction successful conscionable days, acknowledgment to our concern with Florida.”

The authorities volition allocate immoderate FEMA funds to the facility, but it volition not usage catastrophe relief funds.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management volition physique the installation for radical arrested by Florida instrumentality enforcement for migration instrumentality offences. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) programme delegates to authorities and section instrumentality enforcement officers the authorization to execute circumstantial migration functions. Immigrants arrested successful different states could besides beryllium transferred to the installation nether Florida’s custody.

How FEMA volition money ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

A Noem spokesperson told PolitiFact connected June 24 that the caller Florida migration detention installation volition mostly beryllium funded by FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program. Information astir that programme is nary longer disposable connected FEMA’s website, but a DHS spokesperson told america that FEMA has astir $625m successful that programme’s funds that tin beryllium allocated to physique the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility.

The DHS spokesperson besides said that Florida volition initially wage for the facility, and past volition taxable a reimbursement petition to FEMA and DHS.

DHS said the facility’s full outgo volition beryllium astir $450m for 1 year. It is expected to unfastened 30 to 60 days aft construction, which started connected June 23, according to The New York Times. It volition unfastened with 500 to 1,000 beds and is expected to person 5,000 beds by aboriginal July.

Congress approved FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program successful fiscal twelvemonth 2023 to springiness wealth to authorities and section governments and nonprofit organisations that supply migrants with impermanent shelter, nutrient and transportation. The programme uses wealth Congress gave Customs and Border Protection, and is administered by FEMA. Before then, including during the Trump administration, migrants received assistance done different FEMA programme, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which is for radical facing homelessness and hunger.

FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which is chiefly utilized aft earthy disasters, is funded separately by Congress.

During his 2024 statesmanlike campaign, Trump falsely claimed the Biden medication was stealing millions from FEMA’s catastrophe assistance money to assistance migrants. The Shelter and Services Program funding does not travel astatine catastrophe victims’ expense.

PolitiFact antecedently reported that successful fiscal twelvemonth 2024, which started successful October 2023 and ended successful September 2024, Congress directed US Customs and Border Protection to springiness FEMA $650m for the Shelter and Services Program.

From fiscal years 2021 to 2024, Congress allocated astir $1.5bn combined for some the Shelter and Services Program and the Emergency Food and Shelter program. The Trump medication stopped backing for the Emergency Food and Shelter program.

“Alligator Alcatraz” is conscionable 1 of the ways Florida is readying to detain, process and deport immigrants illegally successful the US.

Earlier this year, Florida offered to physique migration detention sites. The state’s “Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan” says it identified respective locations successful the northeastern and south-central regions of the authorities that could service arsenic detention centres. The study said that to marque the detention and deportation process “seamless”, the locations “are typically” adjacent airstrips.

DeSantis said during a June 25 press conference that Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, a grooming basal for the Florida National Guard, soon volition beryllium formally announced arsenic an migration detention facility.