Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced Thursday that the state has permanently closed the controversial Everglades immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The closure comes just weeks after Florida temporarily evacuated the facility amid concerns that the tent-based complex would not withstand the hurricane season. Detainees housed at the site were transferred to other detention facilities.
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“We stood up Alligator Alcatraz to help address the failures of the Biden administration on immigration enforcement and bolster the Trump administration’s efforts to resume interior enforcement and removal operations,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Detainees who are still awaiting deportation have been transferred to other federal facilities, and demobilization efforts are underway.”
DeSantis also highlighted Florida’s role in supporting immigration enforcement efforts.
“The Biden border crisis caused an emergency,” he said. “When it comes to emergency management, Florida is second to none. The success of Alligator Alcatraz demonstrated our state’s leadership in launching critical infrastructure, surging resources, and managing complex operations.”
DeSantis maintained that the facility was never intended to be permanent after it opened in July 2025 as part of Florida’s broader effort to assist federal immigration enforcement operations.
“I think when we did it, we thought that it would be six months to a year in terms of the necessity of it,” he said.
The facility received its name from the more than 200,000 alligators in the swamp surrounding the facility, where it was built on an almost entirely abandoned airfield.
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The detention center faced sustained criticism from immigrant advocacy groups and civil rights organizations, which argued the facility’s temporary tent structures were neither safe nor humane for long-term detention.
The facility has also been the subject of controversy and protests, including several lawsuits. One lawsuit was from environmentalists and a tribal group who argued the facility required environmental review due to its location on a natural wetland. An appeals court, however, ruled that the facility could remain open in April.
