Trump to attend opening of "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida, DeSantis says

Florida's program for "Alligator Alcatraz"

Behind the plans for Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" migration detention center 02:56

Washington — President Trump connected Tuesday plans to sojourn a caller migration detention halfway successful South Florida that authorities officials are calling "Alligator Alcatraz," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced. 

The controversial detention facility is astatine the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport successful the Florida Everglades, and has its ain runway. DeSantis said the tract has been modified "within a substance of days" to besides relation arsenic a detention center, and helium expects the tract to beryllium operational Tuesday. 

"When the president comes tomorrow, he's going to beryllium capable to see," DeSantis told reporters successful a property league successful Florida connected Monday. The Florida politician said helium spoke with the president implicit the weekend, and Mr. Trump is "very excited" to visit. 

The White House did not instantly respond to a petition to remark connected the imaginable visit. 

DeSantis called the halfway an "effective way" to summation the numbers of removals and deportations of unauthorized immigrants arsenic the authorities seeks to assistance the national government's deportation efforts. DeSantis previously told Fox News the installation tin clasp up to 5,000 detainees.

"They ain't going anyplace erstwhile they're there, unless you privation them to spell somewhere," DeSantis said Monday. "Because bully luck getting to civilization. So the information is astonishing — earthy and otherwise." 

Last week, environmental groups filed a suit to artifact the opening of the installation until it undergoes an biology review as required by national law.