Special VIP Movement Notifications issued for both Palm Beach and Ochopee for Tuesday could be an indication that President Donald Trump may be making a visit to the "Alligator Alcatraz" site being prepared in the Everglades in eastern Collier County.
These notifications typically refer to temporary flight restrictions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration to limit air travel around the movement of high-profile individuals. They are coordinated with the U.S. Secret Service and communicated to pilots through Notices to Airmen.
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Two FAA Safety Team notifications were listed Sunday, one for Palm Beach, near Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, and the other for Ochopee, where the state has been preparing an immigration detention camp referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
Earlier, a temporary flight restriction for special security reasons was issued for the Everglades location from June 26 through Dec. 26 this year. The restriction prohibits unmanned aircraft systems, which includes drones and associated ground-control systems for tasks such as data collection, surveillance and deliveries.
A Notice to Airmen has not yet been issued for either location.
During a protest outside the site Saturday, a steady stream of dump trucks and other vehicles were observed entering and exiting.
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The location had been planned as a major jetport in the 1970s before President Richard M. Nixon canceled the project. A lengthy runway remains.
Two environment groups, Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, filed federal lawsuits Friday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Florida Division of Emergency Management and Miami-Dade County.
The lawsuit seeks to halt the project until it undergoes a stringent environmental review as required by federal law. There is also supposed to be a chance for public comment, according to the lawsuit filed in Miami federal court.
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A DeSantis spokesman said the administration will oppose the lawsuit in court.
State officials have said that the center is set to begin processing people who entered the U.S. illegally as soon as Tuesday.
Under DeSantis, Florida has made an aggressive push for immigration enforcement and has been supportive of the federal government's broader crackdown on illegal immigration.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said the detention center will be partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
She has praised Florida for coming forward with the plan for the facility. She said FEMA has been looking to expand immigration detention capacity and has been reviewing contracts Immigration and Customs Enforcement has with vendors for detention beds.
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