Opening Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ gives DeSantis a chance to boost his ties to Trump

Just months after President Donald Trump’s administration quietly moved to undercut a hardline immigration push by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the two former Republican rivals are set to appear side by side on Tuesday for the opening of a new migrant detention center in the Everglades.

Trump and DeSantis are expected to tour the compound – nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” – built on a remote airstrip surrounded by swamp and predators. In the latest display of his support for a signature Trump priority, DeSantis used emergency powers to seize the land and fast-track construction with encouragement from the Trump administration.

While a White House official described the Trump-DeSantis relationship as “fine,” DeSantis has faced a strained dynamic ever since he ran for the 2024 Republican nomination, crossing Trump, who believed he was responsible for the governor’s rise.

The White House for months has moved in ways that effectively isolated DeSantis in his own state, working behind the scenes with Florida lawmakers who refused the governor’s demands on immigration. And Trump has elevated other Florida Republicans, inviting them to events in Washington that the governor did not attend.

Also expected to attend Tuesday’s event: Rep. Byron Donalds, Trump’s favored pick to replace the term-limited DeSantis as governor, a not-so-subtle reminder of shifting Republican loyalties in their shared home state. DeSantis, meanwhile, has publicly suggested that his wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, would be a worthwhile successor.