Overview

• Construction started Monday at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, with plans to set up heavy-duty tents and trailers within 30 to 60 days.
• The site will accommodate up to 5,000 detainees and is projected to cost $450 million per year, with partial reimbursement from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.
• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the project as a “cost-effective and innovative” measure under President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
• Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and environmental group Friends of the Everglades have raised concerns about the rapid timeline and potential damage to the sensitive wetland ecosystem.
• Officials cite the surrounding marshland and resident alligators and pythons as natural security barriers to deter escape attempts.