How does it cost $450 millon to set up a

[doc03]

bunch of tents with cages in the middle of the
Everglades? It looks like a giant money laundering scam to me.

[snowybirdie]

1. Reports say

DeSantis' big donors got contracts! Hope David Jolly gets on this..

[rsdsharp]

2. They're figuring in the cost of the crematoriums yet to be built.

[doc03]

5. I wouldn't surprised, that is supposed to be

cost to build and operate it for one year. The state shut down our old prison because it was considered cruel punishment and these are far worse. The animals in our dog pound have better treatment.

[Hekate]

6. That's what the alligators are for: the "escapees"

[Biophilic]

3. Ya think?

But remember because the place is so uninhabitable everything has to be brought in including water (probably) and all waste including human has to be trucked out. It is a money pit. The businesses supporting this monstrosity are going to make out like bandits.

[Hekate]

4. Ya think? Ah well, Death Camps don't come cheap, in the end.

[Evolve Dammit]

17. The Nazis had to pay IBM for the punchcard system and Bayer for the cyanide gas

[eggplant]

43. Zyklon B, specifically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zyklon_B

[Evolve Dammit]

46. I recall seeing photos of the cannisters with the Bayer name. Thanks

[bucolic_frolic]

7. No bid contracts given to your friends

Taxpayers are the losers.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. $300 million in my pocket, and I'll give you $100 million. The rest you can sprinkle to friends as hush payments.

Poof! $450 Million.

[ananda]

9. I wonder how long it'll stay above water.

...

[LittleGirl]

24. It flooded last week. Already. nt

[ananda]

26. Those guys really don't understand what they're up against.

It's going to be a floodbath.

[Rowdyag]

27. Isn't that kinda what they hope?

[ananda]

35. Like I said. They just don't understand what's coming.

And none of them ever did.

IOW, they might be able to defy human norms for awhile,
but nature is a whole nother thing.

[Wiz Imp]

33. And that was during a typical daily South Florida thunderstorm

Not remotely close to what one would call "bad" weather

[LittleGirl]

34. Exactly. nt

[Irish_Dem]

10. Spoil system. All of Trump's pals getting very rich.

[Emile]

11. They have to purchase the land?

[Jose Garcia]

12. No, it's owned by the state

[flamingdem]

13. That's the people's money

Another grift, another rip-off.

[swong19104]

14. It's not money laundering

It’s outright grift. Pad the cost, take the $450M, spend just $45M (or less), keep the difference.

[Nigrum Cattus]

15. "They" said it took 8 days -

$450,000,000 divide x 8 = $56,250,000 per day -
As a former construction estimator that knows
projects are typically 2/3 to 3/4 labor that would
require 562,500 @ $100 per hour divide by 8 hours
= 70,313 man hours per day

[Wiz Imp]

32. The $450,000,000 is not the cost to build it, it's the annual cost to operate it.

$450,000,000 divided by 365 days a year = $1,232,877 per day

Divide that by 3000 beds it's supposed to house = $411 per day per detainee.

Compare that to the average daily cost per prisoner in prisons in the US = $177

Some people are getting rich at taxpayer expense

[Biophilic]

16. Everything has to be trucked in.

All the water and food. All the sanitary stuff and the shit trucked out. It’s got to be a huge money maker for all their buddies.

[Evolve Dammit]

18. Just pump all the waste into the Glades. They don't fucking care. At all

[DENVERPOPS]

41. No different than all the

pig shit lagoons all over the Southern States...........

[Evolve Dammit]

47. Yes. Or toxic coal ash waste being released into waterways. They simply don't fucking care. At all.

[Johonny]

19. Waste, fraud, and abuse is GOP normal opperation

Every cent spent on poor people needs to be track, every billion spent on friendly contractors needs to be forgotten about.

[Mysterian]

20. Ya gotta get to that new republican $5 trillion debt ceiling somehow!

Republican "fiscal conservatism" will get us there in no time!

[Baitball Blogger]

21. I do believe the enormous budget in the

Bill is going to turn into a money laundering scheme.

[Hornedfrog2000]

45. Thats the point

Lower interest rates so they all can borrow more too.

[Gimpyknee]

22. With Trump it's always follow the money.

[Quanto Magnus]

23. Well the executives must get their bonuses....

or whatever 'skimming fee' they're calling it now.

[LittleGirl]

25. Remember, everything he touches dies. nt

[flashman13]

28. This entire regime is nothing but the largest, hughest, greatest, most beautiful smash and grab ever.

How many school lunches and meals on wheels could you buy with $450 M?

[OldBaldy1701E]

29. I saw something on Tik Tok where they mentioned that it took eight days and they did this and that.

The first comment was this:

"So, what they are saying is that they could solve the homeless problem. I wonder why they won't?"

[Wiz Imp]

30. The Government doesn't own ANYTHING

It's honestly a money laundering operation.

They're paying to lease everything in addition to overpaying a contractor to run and manage the place.

Watch these 2 tik-tok videos if you can. Myranda Knows her stuff.

https://www.tiktok.com/@myrandapolisci/video/7523673180733443342

https://www.tiktok.com/@myrandapolisci/video/7523707131682393399

This Daily Kos article has some information on some of the contractors involved but not much on the actual costs.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/5/2331596/-Why-will-Alligator-Alcatraz-cost-450-million-a-year-to-run

Lemoine CDR Logistics and CDR Healthcare, whose owner is a significant donor to Republican political action committees, the owner confirmed his involvement but couldn't provide details due to a non-disclosure agreement. Right.

Granny's Alliance Holdings Inc has a $3.3 million contract to provide meals.

IRG Global Emergency Management has a $1.1 million contract for flight and operational support services.

SLSCO Ltd is a construction company that was also involved in building part of the border wall during Trump's first administration.

Garner Environmental Services is a disaster relief company.

Doodie Calls is a portable toilet company. Cute name.

GardaWorld is one of the world's largest security services.

Gotham LLC is a disaster logistics company.

Longview International Technological Solutions is tough to find anything out about, except for a review from somebody who said that they would never work for a company like this again.

I'm shocked that Fox actually published this editorial slamming it.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/swamp-games-inside-noems-controversial-alligator-alcatraz-detention-strategy

In the middle of directing the most underwhelming deportation effort in modern American history, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has now decided to play swamp games.

Literally.

Rather than investing in a durable, institutional enforcement backbone capable of sustaining President Donald Trump’s mass deportation mandate, Noem is shoveling detention funds into a pop-up project in a Florida swamp – proudly dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." It’s not a joke. It’s an insult.

Let’s be clear: the heart of the Trump immigration agenda is mass deportation. That requires infrastructure like beds, buses and planes. And when it comes to beds, we’re talking real detention facilities and actual jails, not circus tents surrounded by reptiles.

So why is Noem building a "soft-sided" facility in an ecologically fragile mosquito pit, 45 miles from downtown Miami? Why is she seeking to sideline ICE’s institutional partners with decades of experience and instead cutting side deals with states desperate for political brownie points?

[Javaman]

36. because it's a grift/money laundry operation disguised as something truly fucking horrible. nt

[kentuck]

37. Using budget appropriations as their personal laundry mat..

Nothing surprises me about this crooked regime.

[Cheezoholic]

38. When another Irma comes through, well, I don't think evacuation of detainee's will be a priority n/t

[Scalded Nun]

39. When $435 million goes into your pocket. Easy math.

[Silent Type]

40. Still vile and a waste, but $450 M is annual operating cost. Depending on how many poor souls end up there,

that might be in ballpark. Hope that includes air conditioning and essentials.

Also hope it has a lot of wasted capacity with few detainees imprisoned.

[spanone]

42. $400 million is in trmp's pocket...Now you see how simple it is?

[barbtries]

44. I'm sure that's what it is.

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/alligator-alcatraz-detainees-allege-inhumane-conditions-at-immigration-detention-center/

They're committing atrocities on the taxpayers' dime and I have no doubt that plenty of money is landing directly in krasnov's pockets. and miller's and others who are shareholders in the company running this Crime Against Humanity.

[Ping Tung]

48. Are they going to sell tickets to the MAGAs so they can taunt the caged people?