{"id":33284,"date":"2025-08-05T00:52:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=33284"},"modified":"2025-08-05T00:52:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:52:34","slug":"how-much-does-alligator-alcatraz-cost-taxpayers-every-year-ternanews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=33284","title":{"rendered":"How much does Alligator Alcatraz cost taxpayers every year? – TernaNews"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Trump\u2019s \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d Raises Eyebrows \u2014 and Taxpayer Costs<\/h2>\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s latest immigration initiative\u2014Alligator Alcatraz<\/em>\u2014is making waves deep in Florida\u2019s Everglades. Billed as a \u201ccost-effective\u201d alternative to traditional detention centers, the controversial facility is projected to cost U.S. taxpayers a staggering\u00a0$450 million per year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A Swamp Fortress with Bite<\/h3>\n

Built on an abandoned airstrip at the Dade-Collier Training and Transport Airport, the detention center is surrounded by d**dly wildlife\u2014pythons, alligators, and clouds of mosquitoes. Trump calls the facility \u201csecure and beautiful,\u201d boasting that \u201cbodyguards\u201d come in the form of alligators.<\/p>\n

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The center opened July 1 and currently houses up to\u00a03,000 detainees<\/strong>, with plans to increase capacity to 5,000. Rows of bunk beds enclosed by chain-link fencing fill the camp, which critics describe as a \u201cprison camp\u201d designed to\u00a0double migrant detention capacity<\/strong>\u00a0from 41,000 to 100,000.<\/p>\n

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Designed to Deter and Pressure<\/h3>\n

The facility\u2019s remote location isn\u2019t an accident. Officials admit it\u2019s meant to discourage illegal immigration and\u00a0pressure detainees to self-deport<\/strong>. However, human rights advocates say the strategy amounts to\u00a0psychological and physical t*rment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Inmates Speak Out: \u201cIt\u2019s a State of T*rt.ure\u201d<\/h3>\n

Cuban detainee Rafel Collado compared the conditions to \u201ca dog cage.\u201d He says filthy water, limited showers, and overcrowding led to a painful foot infection.<\/p>\n

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Another detainee, Juan Palma, told NBC: \u201cI feel like my life is in danger.\u201d He described constant mosquito a**acks, bright fluorescent lighting around the clock, and no sense of night or day.<\/p>\n

Though both men have criminal records, their families argue they have served their time. Meanwhile, data from June 20 shows that\u00a072% of those in detention have no criminal record<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Taxpayer Burden: $450 Million Annually<\/h3>\n

Despite Trump\u2019s claims of cost-efficiency, critics say the numbers don\u2019t add up. Florida State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith told ABC News Channel 9 that housing one detainee at\u00a0Alligator Alcatraz<\/em>\u00a0costs\u00a0over $90,000 a year<\/strong>\u2014more than triple the\u00a0$27,000<\/strong>\u00a0average in traditional facilities.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is a tent city on top of the Everglades,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThat\u2019s a $450 million bill for taxpayers\u2014and it doesn\u2019t even factor in the cost of hurricanes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurricane Thr**t Could Add More Costs<\/h3>\n

Experts warn the camp is not built to withstand even a Category 3 hurricane. With hurricane season fast approaching, evacuation plans remain unclear\u2014and\u00a0no official cost estimate exists for relocating thousands of detainees<\/strong>\u00a0in an emergency.<\/p>\n

Congresswoman Lois Frankel criticized the plan, saying, \u201cAlligator Alcatraz is a gimmick. That money could be spent far more wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your Voice Matters<\/h3>\n

Do you think taxpayer money should fund\u00a0Alligator Alcatraz<\/em>? Share your thoughts\u2014and share this story to hear from others.<\/p>\n

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Trump\u2019s \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d Raises Eyebrows \u2014 and Taxpayer Costs President Donald Trump\u2019s latest immigration initiative\u2014Alligator Alcatraz\u2014is making waves deep in Florida\u2019s Everglades. Billed as a \u201ccost-effective\u201d alternative to traditional detention … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33284"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33286,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33284\/revisions\/33286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}