Trump Revives Talk of Using African Crocodiles to Deter Border Crossings

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on 1 July that he is contemplating the once-tongue-in-cheek idea of releasing crocodiles into the Rio Grande to discourage illegal crossings along the Texas border. Speaking to reporters while touring a new migrant detention centre at Florida’s Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—Trump said the proposal, first floated during his first term, was initially a joke but has gained support among some of his backers. Trump corrected earlier references to alligators, specifying that he was thinking of importing “crocodiles from Africa” because “they are a step beyond.” He added that “a lot of people think we should do it,” although he stopped short of presenting the idea as formal policy. No federal or state agency has indicated that such a measure is under consideration, and immigration-policy experts have dismissed the notion as impractical and potentially illegal under wildlife-protection laws.