At a press conference that felt more like scripted horror than a policy briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a story that quickly made headlines—and raised eyebrows. “The other day, I was talking to some [U.S.] marshals that have been partnering with ICE,” Noem said. “They said that they had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home, and while they had him in his seat, he started to eat himself and they had to get him off and get him medical attention”.
Noem’s comments came during the unveiling of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new 3,000-bed migrant detention facility built in just eight days in the Florida Everglades. Flanked by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, she described it as a high-security, air-conditioned compound designed to quickly deport undocumented migrants. “These are the kind of deranged individuals that are on our streets,” Noem added. “They shouldn’t be living in our communities with families who just want to raise their children and live the American dream.”
She claimed the Trump administration is “going after murderers and rapists and traffickers” allowed in by President Biden, and that the new facility will help “immediately get them out of the country”. No federal agency has confirmed Noem’s cannibalism story. But as immigration enforcement hardens, it’s clear the narrative is shifting from policy to shock value.
