Alligator Alcatraz Immigration Detention Center to Close

The Florida Department of Emergency Management has notified vendors that the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in the Everglades will close, with operations expected to wind down by June. The facility, which opened in July 2025, has faced escalating operational costs, allegations of detainee mistreatment, and legal challenges regarding environmental damage.

Background and Timeline

Located approximately 50 miles west of Miami in a swampy area of the Everglades, the detention center opened on July 3, 2025. It was operated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The facility held up to 1,400 detainees in metal cages and processed approximately 22,000 undocumented immigrants since its opening.

State officials informed vendors on Tuesday that the center would close. The facility will be demobilized over two to three weeks. Following closure, the site is scheduled to reopen as a small airport for pilot training.

Financial Costs

The state initially operated the center at an estimated cost of $1.2 million per day, totaling approximately $1 million daily according to other state estimates. Total operational costs have been reported as nearly $1 billion.

The state submitted a $608 million reimbursement request to the federal government, which was approved but held up due to court challenges and environmental issues. An additional $300 million in costs have been incurred with no guarantee of federal reimbursement. The expectation of federal reimbursement was part of the original agreement between the state and DHS.

Allegations of Detainee Mistreatment

Detainees at the facility alleged on Thursday that guards denied them food and fresh water to pressure them into signing documents presented in English, which they stated they did not understand. In an audio recording of a phone call to the Workers Circle advocacy group, multiple detainees claimed the water provided over the past three days was contaminated, described as "rotten" and containing mosquito larvae.

Specific allegations include:

Water was withheld entirely on Thursday morning, following several days of complaints about water quality.
Lunch was not provided on Thursday.
One detainee stated that guards wanted them to sign a paper in English that they could not understand.
Another detainee said those who refused to sign faced reprisals, including removal of water and delayed medication for diabetic and hypertensive inmates.
Chants of "agua" (water) reportedly broke out when water was withheld.

The facility has previously faced allegations of human rights abuses, including denial of access to lawyers and pressure to accept deportation.

Official Statements and Responses

Governor Ron DeSantis stated last week: "If we shut the lights out tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose." He also said the camp was temporary and that the federal government now has resources to handle detainees elsewhere.
A DHS spokesperson stated that reports of pressure to close the camp are false and that Florida remains a partner in immigration enforcement.
Florida Division of Emergency Management communications director Stephanie Hartman, in a statement on May 29, said medical facilities and staff are available 24/7 to detainees. The department has previously denied mistreatment of detainees.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost released a statement calling for accountability and describing conditions at the facility as "inhumane."
Florida Democratic representatives criticized the camp as wasteful and abusive, calling for accountability.
Workers Circle director Noelle Damico stated that detainees were being asked to sign documents they could not fully see or understand, and that withholding water and food is a violation of basic human rights.
Environmental and human rights groups welcomed the closure but demanded full restoration of the site and continued legal action.

Neither the DHS, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, nor Governor DeSantis's office responded to requests for comment regarding the closure.

Legal and Environmental Issues

Environmental advocates have a pending lawsuit arguing that the camp's construction caused irreparable damage to the Everglades and Miccosukee tribal lands. An appeals court previously overturned a district court order to close the facility.

The Department of Homeland Security, former President Donald Trump, and Governor DeSantis have previously praised the camp. Human rights groups reported that conditions at the facility were cruel and inhumane, including allegations of torture and denial of legal representation. State and federal officials denied mistreatment.

The Miami Herald reported that many contractors at the camp had donated to DeSantis or other Republican politicians.