Anyone watching the news in recent days may have noticed how the Trump administration, and specifically Donald Trump, seems to be almost celebrating the opening of new prisons.
Trump visited Florida on Tuesday to tour what’s been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” a migrant detention center in the Everglades that officials say will start filling its 5,000 beds beginning this week.
The prison was put together by the state of Florida within days of receiving federal approval last week, and the nickname of “Alligator Alcatraz” was coined by the Florida Attorney General as a reference to the prison’s location, which is home to alligators and pythons.
Trump was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state emergency management officials.
“I thought this was so professional, so well done,” Trump said after touring the center, which features rows of fenced-in bunk beds and a razor-wire perimeter. “It’s really government working together,” he added.
The White House also posted an image on X which said: “Alligator Alcatraz. Make America Safe Again”, with an image of alligators in ICE hats. Clearly suggesting that the alligators would eat anyone who tried to escape.
The image posted by the White House prompted numerous people to point out that allusions to “alligator bait” were also made a century ago by Jim Crow-era racists about African Americans.
The point of the propaganda back then was to dehumanize African Americans, and to characterize any violence against them as either justified or even a bit humorous. Today’s version of that propaganda has the government dehumanizing illegal immigrants.
For his part, Trump described the facility as “an East Coast” version of the infamous Alcatraz prison off of the San Francisco coast. When asked if the idea was for detainees to get eaten by alligators if they tried to escape, Trump replied, “I guess that’s the concept.”
“Snakes are fast but alligators — we’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator. Don’t run in a straight line, run like this,” Trump said, waving his hands in a zigzag motion. “You know what, your chances go up about one percent.”
“This is what you need … A lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops in the form of alligators … It might be as good as the real Alcatraz site. That’s a spooky one too, isn’t it? That’s a tough site.”
It’s hard not to notice that Trump simply lights up when talking about prisons.
Alcatraz has long been a source of fascination for Trump, who mused earlier this year about reopening the San Francisco facility, despite cost and feasibility concerns. A few days back he posted this on Truth Social:
“We’re going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks. What a symbol it is, and will be! Conceptual work started six months ago, and various prison development firms are looking at doing it with us. Still a little early, but lots of promise!” Notice how gleeful he sounds about this.
Amazingly, Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz as a maximum-security prison may have actually been inspired, not by any research his administration had done, but by what he saw on TV.
Trump’s announcement came just hours after a local PBS affiliate aired “Escape From Alcatraz,” the 1979 Clint Eastwood move which dramatized a real-life prison break from the island.
However, Trump’s interest in using sharks and alligators isn’t limited to prisons, as he was asked by conservative podcaster Benny Johnson about the idea of putting crocodiles in the Rio Grande river in order to discourage illegal immigration.
Rather than dismiss that idea as cruel or simply ludicrous, Trump responded by saying that importing African crocodiles would be even better, as they are ruthless. Benny Johnson seemed to celebrate that idea by commenting “absolute savage.”
Estimates are that the Everglades facility will cost Florida some $450 million dollars to run for one year, according to DHS, with much of that to be reimbursed by FEMA. One does have to wonder how many hungry people could be fed over a year for $450 million dollars.
In case you were wondering if all of this couldn’t get any more tasteless, the Florida state GOP is now also selling “Alligator Alcatraz” branded T-shirts, trucker hats and other paraphernalia on its website.
And, if all the celebration of prisons and fantasies about alligators and sharks circling them isn’t enough blood lust, Trump announced that he’s thinking of staging a UFC fight on the White House grounds to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
Sometimes you can only shake your head in disbelief.
But as Christians, one thing that should stand out to us is how all that’s going on right now is in stark contrast to how the Bible tells us to treat others, and I’m not just talking about those who are in prison. Let’s look at Matthew 25, where Jesus says the following:
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’”
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
Here are those that Jesus specifically tells us to help in these verses:
1. Those who are hungry and thirsty
2. Those who need clothing
3. Those who are a stranger to our shores
4. Those who are sick
5. Those who are in prison
Is it any coincidence then, that the administration of Donald Trump, the man who lines up with the biblical Antichrist, backs legislation that hurts those most in need of food and clothing? Those who are sick? Those who are a stranger to our shores? That they dehumanize those who are in prison?
But although Trump and those in his administration may have reason to celebrate now, the time is coming when that won’t be true. And the same can be said for many professed Christians who walk lockstep behind Donald Trump.
One day soon they will look to Jesus and ask: “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?”
The answer they will hear is “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Thank you for watching and I’ll talk to you guys soon. ♦