Donald Trump is travelling to Florida to visit his new immigrant detention centre, whichh has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”.

Located around 45 miles west of Miami at an isolated airfield in the Everglades national park, the facility takes its nickname for the alligator and cobra-infested swamp that surrounds it.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Mr Trump joked that inmates will be taught “how to run away from an alligator” in case they escape.

“Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this,” he said, performing a zig-zag motion with his hands. “And you know what, your chances [of survival] go up about one per cent.”

The project is the brainchild of James Uthmeier, the Florida Attorney General, and Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, who deployed emergency powers to erect the compound, made up of heavy-duty tents and trailers, within a matter of days.

When it is fully up and running, the remote facility is expected to house up to 5,000 people and cost an estimated $450 million (£328 million) annually.

The new site has drawn criticism from Democrats, environmentalists and tribal leaders alike, who have warned of inhumane conditions and threats to the region’s wildlife.