Florida Gov. DeSantis Closes Alligator Alcatraz Detention Site

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on June 25 that the emergency immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades has been permanently shut down. The tented facility, opened in July 2025 as a rapid‑response “not‑ever‑more” solution, processed roughly 21,000‑22,000 deportations before its last detainees were transferred to other ICE facilities in early June. DeSantis said, “Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role it was designed to serve. Today there are zero detainees here.”

The center cost more than $1 billion to build and operate, drawing criticism from civil‑rights groups for overcrowded, unsanitary conditions and from environmental organisations for damage to the fragile Everglades ecosystem. ACLU deputy director Carmen Iguina González called the closure “worth celebrating” but warned it “reflects systemic patterns of abuse at other ICE detention facilities nationwide.” All remaining detainees remain in federal custody, and the airstrip will be repurposed for training flights while environmental groups push for full site remediation.