Gov Desantis Confirms Closure Of Alligator Alcatraz Less Than A Year After Opening

Florida's arguable "Alligator Alcatraz" migration detention center, which faced harsh criticism for its conditions, has officially unopen down astir a twelvemonth aft opening, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.

The Republican politician stated that nan distant facility, located astatine an isolated airstrip successful nan Everglades, was ever intended arsenic a impermanent solution until much imperishable detention centers could beryllium secured. DeSantis indicated that national officials now person that capacity, adding, "It served its intent for nan time."

Officials had antecedently announced a impermanent shutdown of nan installation successful early June, relocating each detainees owed to information concerns related to hurricane play successful nan Everglades.

Immigration advocates said nan tents were ne'er safe aliases humane for holding people. Detainees astatine nan installation person talked astir their trouble accessing lawyers and described mediocre beingness conditions, including worms successful nan food, toilets that didn’t flush, floors flooded pinch fecal waste, and mosquitoes and different insects everywhere.

The detention halfway was built by DeSantis’ management successful a matter of days and opened successful July 2025. DeSantis and President Donald Trump said nan detention halfway was captious to Republican efforts to return group successful nan state illegally backmost to their location countries.

“There is nary mobility this ngo has made nan authorities of Florida safer," said DeSantis, noting that 21,000 group were deported done nan facility.

Lawyers for nan immigrants astatine nan installation said their clients abruptly started leaving for different accommodation successful South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas earlier this month, disappearing for astir a week earlier their attorneys and families were told wherever they were sent.

Advocates for immigrants said closing “Alligator Alcatraz” does thing to extremity nan harm of group who walk months successful custody arsenic their families suffer.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition said nan only winners were corporations and contractors who profited millions of dollars arsenic Republicans pushed an migration emergency that does not exist.

DeSantis said nan airstrip successful nan Everglades nan installation was built astir will proceed to beryllium used.