The president Donald Trump published this Monday a formal endorsement of Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, ahead of the 2026 election cycle, granting him his "full and complete support."
In the message, Trump described Uthmeier as "a warrior America First and a true champion of MAGA," and identified him as "the man behind Alligator Alcatraz," the controversial detention center built in the Florida Everglades that operated from July 2025 to June 2026.
"Under the brave leadership of James, more than 1,000 criminal pedophiles have been arrested, missing children have been rescued, and our great law enforcement members have been empowered to do their jobs and keep Florida safe," wrote Trump.
The president also emphasized that Uthmeier argued before the Supreme Court of the United States in defense of his executive power to dismiss officials from the so-called "deep state," referring to the case that led to the Trump v. Wilcox decision in May 2025, which expanded presidential powers to remove officials.
Trump ended his post with a promise of continuity: "James Uthmeier is a strong fighter and a conservative prosecutor, and he has my full and total support. He will not let you down!"
Alligator Alcatraz, the most emblematic project of Uthmeier, was an immigration detention center built in just eight days at the former Dade-Collier Airport in the Everglades, with a capacity of up to 5,000 people and an estimated cost of 450 million dollars per year.
The center was the subject of allegations of mistreatment of detainees, including reports of guards who allegedly beat and sprayed migrants with pepper spray during an internal protest in April 2026.
Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the permanent closure of the center in June 2026, after processing nearly 21,000 deportations, and by mid-July aerial images showed the site completely dismantled.
Uthmeier was appointed Attorney General of Florida by DeSantis on February 17, 2025, replacing Ashley Moody, who moved to the federal Senate.
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