Republicans have emphasized the amount of deadly wildlife surrounding the camp and the danger alligators and pythons might pose to any detained migrants who may attempt to escape. The state GOP is even selling disturbing, swamp-themed merchandise touting the project, and Trump on Tuesday said, "I guess that's the concept," to a question about whether undocumented immigrants will be eaten by alligators if they try to escape. Have you heard about Alligator Alcatraz?

But so far, little has been said about how exactly the facility came to be. As it turns out, two contractors who worked to quickly build out Alligator Alcatraz, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has called a "one-stop shop" for detention, adjudication, and deportation of migrants, have been significant donors to DeSantis and Trump. Does this surprise you?

Earlier last Tuesday, Bloomberg News identified several contractors working on Alligator Alcatraz - a group of disaster relief firms selected by Florida's Division of Emergency Management, which is part of DeSantis' administration. Among the contractors is CDR Companies, which Bloomberg reported "will run medical services and did some site preparation." CDR's president Carlos Duart and businesses affiliated with his firm have made significant donations to DeSantis and Trump, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. CDR Enterprises donated $1 million in December 2023 to Fight Right Inc., a super PAC that supported DeSantis' presidential campaign. Late last year, DeSantis announced he was appointing Duart to the board of trustees at Florida International University, and named his wife, Tina Vidal-Duart, to the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees. Do you think that these relationships can create an appearance of impropriety in the mind of an ordinary knowledgeable citizen acquainted with the facts?

Last June, CDR Maguire Inc. donated $400,000 to Right for America, a pro-Trump Super PAC. Duart donated $500,000 to the Trump 47 Committee in October. He also gave $148,000 in December to the Kennedy Victory Fund, helping RFK Jr. clear some of his campaign debt. In January, CDR Enterprises contributed $500,000 to Trump's inaugural committee. Bloomberg reported that SLSCO Ltd., a construction company in Galveston, Texas, is also involved with Alligator Alcatraz, noting that the business had helped build parts of Trump's border wall during his first term as president. Do you think that these donations are just coincidental?

CDR Companies and SLSCO did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Rolling Stone. According to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, the contractors were selected from an existing pool of vendors already approved by Florida's Division of Emergency Management - a move that allowed the state to bypass competitive bidding requirements. A heavily redacted planning document for the detention center obtained by Bloomberg indicated a desire to petition DHS to waive Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention standards to "streamline the setup of detention facilities." "We believe that the nature and vast scope of the illegal alien presence deserves a rethinking of detention processes and standards," the document said. Do you agree with the DHS statement?