MAGA Republicans and others have sought to capitalize on the notorious new “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center by selling merchandise such as baby onesies, T-shirts, and caps. As President Donald Trump toured the controversial Florida Everglades facility on Tuesday, the state’s GOP website and other online stores hawked a new line of fashion, enraging critics who view the centre as inhumane. One website was selling an “Alligator Alcatraz” retro baby onesie with a picture of a large alligator in a swamp for $26.89.
The Florida GOP’s website was also filled with merch, including T-shirts for $30, black mesh trucker hats for $27, and a pair of koozies for $15. “Every shirt, hat, or koozie you grab funds our push to keep Florida tough on crime, and tougher on borders,” the Florida GOP wrote in a fundraising email ahead of Trump’s visit. Alligator Alcatraz is a new state-run migrant detention center being built on an airfield site, in Ochopee, west of Miami. But the center, which will cater for up to 5,000 people, has already sparked daily protests from immigration advocates and environmentalists. Asked on Tuesday if the concept behind the facility was to have alligators or snakes eat illegal immigrants who try to escape, Trump replied: “I guess that’s the concept. This is not a nice business.”
