President Obama, visiting the southern border in 2011, joked that Republicans were so hard-core they would demand to use alligators to deter illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made that a reality. Here’s what you need to know about the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility:

The facility unveiling

Former political rivals unite for detention center launch:

The rapid construction

Florida completed facility in record time:

The on-site legal proceedings

DeSantis proposes expedited deportation process:

The security specifications

Facility includes extensive protective measures:

The natural barriers

Everglades location provides additional security:

Trump’s alligator jokes

President quips about escape scenarios:

The political reconciliation

Former 2024 primary rivals praise each other:

The funding arrangement

State pays upfront, expects federal reimbursement:

The Democratic opposition

Florida congressman condemns facility concept:

The ICE capacity crisis

Detention space represents major deportation bottleneck:

The current detention numbers

Agency holding record numbers in custody:

The environmental lawsuit

Groups challenge facility’s ecological impact:

Read more:

• Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis open Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz to hold 5,000 illegal immigrants

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The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.