Florida Closes Controversial Alligator Alcatraz Migrant Detention Center

Florida closed the controversial Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center after nearly 21,000 deportations. The facility, built in the Everglades, became a symbol of the tough immigration policy of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.

The closure comes after months of complaints about high costs, lack of transparency, and possible abuses. It also leaves open the question of what will happen to the land and the immigration strategy that drove the complex.

What Did Florida Announce?

Ron DeSantis confirmed that Alligator Alcatraz now has no detainees and entered the decommissioning process. According to EFE, the governor said the center helped remove people considered dangerous from Florida and the country.

DeSantis insisted that the facility was always temporary. He maintained that it was built as an emergency solution while the Department of Homeland Security increased its capacity to handle immigration detention.

The announcement was made at the same site, west of Miami, alongside the White House’s border czar, Tom Homan. This gesture sought to show political closure, not just operational.

The CBS had reported that the closure was notified to contractors and suppliers weeks before. That process included the release of the last detainees and the gradual dismantling of the facility.

Why Was It So Controversial?

Because the center was built in a sensitive ecological zone, within the Everglades. Additionally, it operated at a former airport owned by Miami-Dade County, under criticism from environmental groups and migrant advocates.

The organizations denounced inhumane conditions, lack of transparency, and possible abuses. They also questioned why a migrant detention facility was built in a protected ecosystem valued for its natural and tourist importance.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that people were detained without due process on land near one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems. Her position reinforced the idea that the conflict was also environmental.

Reuters had reported in May that the closure was planned.