Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made a chilling claim, alleging that a migrant being deported from the US attempted to eat himself mid-flight, reports The Telegraph.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion in Florida's Everglades, Ms Noem said the incident highlights the type of individuals being targeted by immigration authorities. She referred specifically to detainees held at the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention centre, which she described as being built for "deranged individuals" who "don't belong" in the United States.
The Express has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Why did Kristi Noem make the cannibal allegation?
Speaking during a roundtable discussion in Florida's Everglades, Ms Noem said the incident highlights the type of individuals being targeted by immigration authorities. She referred specifically to detainees held at the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention centre, which she described as being built for "deranged individuals" who "don't belong" in the United States.
"These are the kind of deranged individuals that are on our streets in America that we're trying to target and get out of our country."
She did not reveal the name or nationality of the migrant involved in the alleged incident.
What is 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Donald Trump has unveiled a controversial new migrant detention centre dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz", declaring it will soon be home to "some of the most vicious people on the planet."
Touring the site on Tuesday with Ms Noem, the US President said the facility would "handle the most menacing migrants" and insisted the only solution for such individuals was "really, deportation."
Originally planned as a mega airport set to be five times the size of JFK, the Dade-Collier location has now been transformed into a maximum-security compound, expected to house up to 5,000 migrants.
In typical Trump fashion, he added a quip about the high-security site's natural defences, joking that any escape attempt would require "skills to know how to run away from an alligator."
The President's remarks and the facility's design are likely to spark fierce debate, as critics question both the scale and the tone of the project.
