Florida Closes ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ After Transferring Detainees

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Florida has permanently closed its temporary illegal immigrant holding center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” after all federal detainees were transferred to other facilities, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced June 25.

“Alligator Alcatraz now has zero detainees,” DeSantis told reporters outside the facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Florida Everglades, about 50 miles west of Miami.

The soft-sided facility, built in less than two weeks, was used during the Trump administration’s renewed immigration enforcement push. DeSantis said the site helped remove “many, many dangerous people” from Florida and the United States, adding that nearly 21,000 illegal immigrants were deported through the facility, many of them accused or convicted of serious crimes, including homicide, drug trafficking, cartel activity, sexual battery, burglary, fraud, fentanyl distribution, and Medicaid fraud.

Florida officials moved detainees out as the 2026 hurricane season began June 1, citing the risks of keeping people in a temporary structure during severe weather.

DeSantis said Florida would continue cooperating with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. He pointed to the state’s Deportation Depot in Baker County, which he said has processed 10,000 illegal immigrants and will remain operational.

“We’re proud to be able to be in this fight,” DeSantis said.

U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan joined state officials at the closure announcement, saying Florida had played a key role in helping the administration reach what he called a “record number of arrests and deportations.”

“This doesn’t end the relationship,” Homan said. “This is a continuation.”

The facility had drawn protests and lawsuits from immigrant rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, which alleged detainees lacked access and due process. State and federal officials denied accusations of torture or inhumane treatment.

The ACLU of Florida celebrated the closure, saying public pressure and litigation helped shut down the site. The Sierra Club of Florida also welcomed the move, calling for permanent protections for surrounding Everglades lands from future development, fossil fuel exploration, and drilling.

Florida remains one of the most aggressive states in the nation on immigration enforcement, with DeSantis saying state agencies are required to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

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