COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to the immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz on Friday.
DeSantis confirmed that deportation flights have begun and the facility that opened early this month.
DeSantis highlighted the importance of expedited illegal immigrant deportations from the center, which he described as a temporary holding facility designed to fast-track the deportation process.
Watch DeSantis’ full news conference here:
The governor is seeking approval to have immigration judges on site at the detention center to speed up the legal portion of deportations.
DeSantis released a statement on social media, noting that Alligator Alcatraz was established in just eight days as a centralized facility for deportation staging.
The governor also commented that the facility includes a two-mile runway for federal military aircraft to “transport illegal aliens out of the country.”
Deportation flights operated by the Department of Homeland Security are currently underway, and DeSantis expressed support for increasing the frequency of these flights.
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