The Trump administration is preparing new detention centers inspired by Alligator Alcatraz

The Trump administration is aiming to expand its migrant detention system and, to that end, plans to open several centers across the country modeled after the controversial Alligator Alcatraz in Florida’s Everglades. This was confirmed this week by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The senior official added that she is considering several locations for these facilities, but that she is primarily looking for them to be near airports, as Alligator Alcatraz is, to make it easier to deport detainees.

“The locations we are looking at are next to airport runways, which will help us achieve a level of efficiency we haven’t had before,” Noem told CBS News on Monday. She added that she had spoken directly with governors and state leaders across the country to encourage them to join the Donald Trump administration’s anti-immigrant crusade. “Most of them are interested,” she said, noting that many of the states willing to participate have facilities that are empty or underutilized and could be refurbished to house detainees.

Noem also said the Alligator Alcatraz model is “much better” than the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s current contracts with local jails and for-profit prisons, which run most of the country’s detention centers. She noted that the new facilities will help ICE reduce costs by “facilitating rapid turnover.”

Where will these new centers be located?

Noem has already announced plans to create a detention center in Indiana, which has been nicknamed Speedway Slammer by the government. According to CBS, construction is also being considered in Arizona, Nebraska, and Louisiana (the latter two are Republican-governed states).

The office of Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen said it has had discussions with federal officials about how the state can assist with immigration enforcement efforts. However, his spokesperson noted that it is too early to comment on possible detention operations. He added that details will be released when appropriate.

The new Alligator Alcatraz-inspired centers are likely to be challenged in court. In the case of the Florida detention center, which opened last month at a former airport west of Miami, a federal judge on Thursday halted the expansion of the facility in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups and a Native American tribe, who argue that the prison was built in violation of environmental laws. The judge halted construction at the site for 14 days, but the State of Florida and the Trump Administration can continue operations and keep detainees at the site.

Contracts for expansion

The government is also already securing the necessary funding for the expansion announced by Noem. GardaWorld Federal Services, a U.S. subsidiary of Montreal-based security company GardaWorld, has been authorized to bid on ICE contracts worth up to $138 million. The company is reportedly involved in staffing Alligator Alcatraz. According to government records, ICE included GardaWorld Federal Services among dozens of companies shortlisted for contracts under an emergency contracting program.

According to The Miami Herald, GardaWorld was also awarded an $8 million contract to hire staff for the Alligator Alcatraz facility. GardaWorld sought armed guards for “a remote area of south-central Florida” and offered $25 per hour pay, plus travel, meals, and lodging expenses. Candidates were required to have Florida firearms and security licenses, at least one year of armed experience, and legal ownership of a registered semi-automatic handgun.

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