Florida officials are having discussions with the Trump administration about potentially closing the high-profile immigration detention center nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’
Operating the facility has cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars. The discussions are preliminary, but officials at the Department of Homeland Security have concluded it is too expensive to keep operating and consider the center ineffective.
The DeSantis administration has been spending more than $1 million a day to run the center, which is located in a swampy, isolated area between Miami and Naples. Some private vendors hired by the state to operate the facility have struggled to cover costs.
Governor DeSantis, a Republican, has repeatedly described the Everglades detention center as a success, stating it has provided additional beds for federal detainees and was intended to be temporary.
However, the center’s closure would be welcomed by immigration lawyers, activists, and many detainees and their families as a significant victory. Critics have long denounced what they describe as unsanitary and inhumane conditions at the facility since its opening 10 months ago, while state officials have consistently dismissed such claims as false.
A senior Florida government official stated: “Since its inception, Alligator Alcatraz has processed over 21,000 illegal aliens for deportation. The facility’s purpose was to provide Florida and the Trump administration with a rapid, temporary solution to four years of Biden’s open border invasion. Needless to say, Alligator Alcatraz was a massive success.”
“President Trump secured record funding from Congress to set up permanent sites for detaining and deporting illegal aliens. As those sites come online, the need for Alligator Alcatraz as a holding area will wane, while its 2.5-mile runway will remain available and used for large flights from neighboring ICE facilities,” the statement continued.
“We are glad to see DHS rebuilt under President Trump. We continue to fully support the mission, and when it’s no longer required, Alligator Alcatraz will return to the Everglades with Florida’s commitment that it will never be developed. We also appreciate the federal government’s commitment to reimbursing Florida for its immediate efforts to step in and help with this mission,” it added.
The facility was built last summer at a remote airstrip by DeSantis’ administration to support President Trump’s immigration policies. Multiple detainees have come forward alleging poor conditions, and several lawsuits have been filed seeking closure. However, an appeals court recently ruled the center should remain open.