Florida Will Deputize National Guardsmen as Immigration Judges: Trump

The president and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the plan during a tour of the state’s new illegal immigrant detention facility, ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (L), President Donald Trump (C) and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (R) tour a medical facility during a visit to an illegal immigrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Fla. on July 1, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP

President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed on July 1 that the Sunshine State will soon start deputizing its National Guardsmen as immigration judges to expedite deportation decisions.

Trump traveled to Ochopee, Florida, on July 1 to visit a new illegal immigrant detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” situated about 40 miles southwest of Miami.