Alligator Alcatraz report disputes Trump’s claim that it would detain the “most menacing migrants”

WorldPolitics
15 Jul 2025 • 6:34 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A temporary immigration detention facility, Alligator Alcatraz, in the Florida Everglades, is holding over 700 people, many of whom do not have criminal records or pending charges in the U.S.
  • This contradicts claims made by Donald Trump that the facility would house “the most vicious people on the planet” or “most menacing migrants.”
  • A preliminary review found that only one-third of detainees had criminal convictions, with around 250 held for civil immigration violations.
  • Conditions at the facility, which was quickly converted from an abandoned airport, have drawn criticism from lawmakers and the public, with reports of maggot-infested food, lack of bathing water, and detainees being held in cramped, cage-like conditions.
  • Despite low public support and evidence contradicting his claims, Donald Trump's administration maintains its commitment to mass deportations, arguing that illegal entry itself is a crime and some detainees may have foreign criminal records.

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