Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who first suggested building the $450 million-per-year facility at a small airport in the middle of the Everglades, garnered praise from conservative leaders around the country for the project.

The announcement came as Florida officials opened the state's controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades.

Florida has converted an isolated airport in the Everglades into a massive immigration detention center called "Alligator Alcatraz."