Florida's controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' expected to close

Geoff Bennett:

We're going to take a closer look now at the Trump administration's immigration policy, given some recent developments, from questions surrounding a controversial detention facility in Florida to new leadership at U.S. Border Patrol and ICE.

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, joins us now.

So, Liz, let's start with the reporting that Florida might shut down Alligator Alcatraz. This is that controversial detention facility in a remote area of the Florida Everglades. It's faced criticism over its treatment of detainees. What more do you know?

Liz Landers:

This is a highly controversial facility that opened up less than a year ago.

And The New York Times and several other news outlets are saying that it's going to start winding down operations just in a few weeks at the start of June. There are about 1,400 current detainees there as of last month. And President Trump visited this facility last summer, touted its opening.

But the Department of Homeland Security is sort of pushing back on this and saying in a statement to us that: "Any reports that DHS is pressuring the state to cease operations at Alligator Alcatraz are false. Florida continues to be a valuable partner in advancing President Trump's immigration agenda and DHS appreciates their support."

Governor DeSantis has been asked about this in the last few days in press conferences in Florida. And he said yesterday that the state hasn't received definitive notice about the future of the facility and whether it'll close.

Geoff Bennett:

What about the conditions there? What's the latest reporting on that?

Liz Landers:

Immigration attorneys and advocates have said basically from the beginning that this was unfit for humans.

Amnesty International's Amy Fischer spoke with us earlier today. She was the director of migrant rights there, and she has worked with some of the detainees. This was her reaction to the news that this may shut down.

Amy Fischer, Amnesty International USA:

Everything about this detention facility was made to make people suffer, to make our immigrant friends and neighbors have no access to clean water or adequate food or adequate housing.

We need to ensure that the people that are detained inside of Alligator Alcatraz are set free so that they can return home to their families, to their jobs, to their communities where they're needed. And what we need to see is accountability for what has happened inside.

Liz Landers:

One of the other issues with Alligator Alcatraz too has been the cost. The DeSantis administration has been spending more than a million dollars a day to run this center. And there are some reimbursement issues with the federal government reimbursing the state of Florida.

On top of that, Geoff, there are still lawsuits from environmental groups that are trying to close the facility because of its location in the Everglades.

Geoff Bennett:

And this is all unfolding as the administration is changing leadership at ICE and Border Patrol. What more do you know?

Liz Landers:

There are some shakeups that are happening in the last few days. Today, for example, the U.S. Border Patrol chief, Mike Banks, stepped down. That was confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security. They told us in a statement, they called this a second retirement, because he worked at the agency before, had left during the Biden years and had come back during this second Trump administration.

They thanked him for his service. DHS also announced on Tuesday in a statement that they have a new ICE director. This person is David Venturella. He's a longtime ICE employee. He worked there in the Obama and the Bush administrations and then left. And most recently he's been working for a private company called the GEO Group.

Now, this contracts with the government on private prison and detention facilities. This comes too, Geoff, as DHS has seen a lot of leadership shakeup, of course, Secretary Kristi Noem being replaced just a few months ago and then Greg Bovino, another top immigration official, retiring recently too.

Geoff Bennett:

So new leadership, but, so far as we know, the approach hasn't changed. How is the administration looking to move ahead in the coming months?

Liz Landers:

Well, Trump's top immigration official has said that they're still pushing for these mass deportations. The border czar, Tom Homan, said this in some comments that he made last week.

This was at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. And he said that the high number of these arrests and deportations is going to continue. Of course, this is something that President Trump campaigned on. He campaigned on deporting a million people a year.

Here's what Homan said. He said -- quote -- "If you think last year's historic number is good, wait until next year and we will have 10,000 more agents on the border. You ain't seen 'blank' yet. Mass deportations are coming."

Geoff, this comes, though, as we are moving into a heavily contested midterm cycle, and President Trump has really seen his immigration polling numbers drop, despite this being one of his signature issues. The president has been asked about this issue, in particular after what we saw in the winter in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were killed in the streets by immigration officials.

And Trump said at the time of lessons learned: "I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch."

So we will see going forward, Geoff.

Geoff Bennett:

Liz Landers, our thanks to you, as always.

Liz Landers:

Of course.