STORY: ::Noem says she's in talks with Republican-led states to build a detention site modeled after 'Alligator Alcatraz'
:: Tampa, Florida
:: July 12, 2025
:: Kristi Noem, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary
"We have, since President Trump has been in office, arrested over 286,000 illegal aliens." // "I'm having ongoing conversations with five other governors about facilities that they may have. You know, I haven't asked those governors if I can share their names, but announcements will be coming soon. As you all know, we need to double our capacity of detention beds because we need to facilitate getting people out of this country as fast as possible and to sustain our operations. But those governors have been fantastic. I will tell you, they are all Republicans."
Noem declined to name the states but said announcements would be coming soon. She described Florida's facility as a "fantastic resource" and defended it against criticism, saying it meets or exceeds federal standards.
"Alligator Alcatraz" is a remote migrant detention center, which sits some 37 miles (60 km) from Miami in a vast subtropical wetland teeming with alligators, crocodiles and pythons.
Noem also touted recent enforcement actions by Homeland Security officers, including the arrest of 600 suspected terrorists and more than 2,700 members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
