Recently, in South Carolina, Pamela Evette, the Lieutenant Governor, gubernatorial candidate, and Republican, along with another gubernatorial candidate and Republican federal congressman, Nancy Mace, expressed their support for constructing a state facility similar to Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” to back the Trump administration’s large-scale deportation of illegal immigrants.
Building a South Carolina version of “Alligator Alcatraz” is one of Evette’s key gubernatorial campaign focuses. She plans to name the proposed illegal immigrant detention center “Palmetto Penitentiary.”
The state tree of South Carolina is the Sabal Palmetto. Since the War of Independence, the palmetto tree has been featured on the state seal and has appeared on the state flag since 1861, earning the state the nickname “The Palmetto State.”
Evette also penned a column introducing her plans to build an immigrant detention center in the state, which was published by Fox News on July 31st.
In the column, she stated that the South Carolina version of “Alligator Alcatraz” will convey a clear message that “our state is not, and never will be, a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.”
Mace also expressed support on social media for constructing a South Carolina version of “Alligator Alcatraz.” Similar to Florida, South Carolina is also known for its diverse large wetlands.
She wrote on X, “Dear Department of Homeland Security: we have vast marshes and a dream too, and South Carolina’s Alligator Island is ready, not just talk on paper. If I were governor, we would bring Alligator Island to South Carolina.”
Governor Henry McMaster, who is set to step down in November 2026, mentioned that he is unaware of any federal plans to apply for federal funds for constructing an immigrant detention center.
When asked by reporters on August 1st if South Carolina plans to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, he responded, “As far as I know, there are currently no plans. We have not been asked to build a facility, it may be requested, but we have not been asked yet.”
He was appointed as the chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Committee in April and stated that he has not heard of this funding plan in his discussions with the committee as well as Homeland Security Secretary Nominee.
FEMA has recently launched the 2025 Detention Center Support Grant Program, which will allocate $6.083 billion in grants to alleviate overcrowding in short-term detention facilities of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This fund will be provided to states willing to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement programs to support the construction of immigrant detention centers.
McMaster emphasized that South Carolina is prepared to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement agencies and is willing to deploy the state’s National Guard wherever necessary to ensure border security in the South, but insisted that the requests must come from the Department of Homeland Security.
In his speech on August 1st, he also mentioned that he and the lieutenant governor have not had any communication regarding the construction of a detention center in South Carolina, “We have not discussed this matter at all.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina opposes the construction of an ICE detention center in the state and called “Alligator Alcatraz” a “constitutional and human rights disaster” in a petition, arguing against the proposal to detain individuals with no criminal record under unsafe conditions in the state. As of August 8th, the petition has garnered over 13,000 signatures.
According to Fox 35, judges have currently halted the construction of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” and are reviewing arguments related to environmental protection laws.