A controversial immigration detention center in Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz” has ceased operations less than a year after opening, officials confirmed Thursday. The facility, located on a remote site in the Everglades, was initially established to support the Trump administration’s intensified deportation efforts.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking alongside White House border official Tom Homan at the site, announced that the center no longer housed any detainees and had completed its emergency function. “Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role that it was designed to serve,” DeSantis said, adding that the site helped facilitate the removal of “many, many dangerous people” from both Florida and the United States.
Constructed in just eight days in June 2025 at the abandoned Jade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, the facility featured temporary structures including bunk beds, wire cages, and large tents. The location, situated in the Everglades—home to a substantial alligator population—prompted President Donald Trump to visit shortly after the center’s opening in July 2025. Trump highlighted the harsh conditions on site and joked about the natural wildlife serving as additional security.
DeSantis estimated in May that over 22,000 individuals had been processed through the facility or prepared for deportation. Authorities explained the removal of the last detainees as a safety precaution due to the onset of the hurricane season, with transfers to other detention centers or deportations completed in recent days. Reports indicate that vendors operating the site were instructed to begin full demobilization, signaling an end to a project once touted by Trump and DeSantis as a potential model for immigration enforcement nationwide.
The center faced substantial criticism from legal advocates, families, and human rights organizations. They raised concerns about the facility’s reportedly harsh conditions and alleged failures to provide detainees with meaningful access to due process. Additionally, environmental activists and local indigenous groups, including the Miccosukee Tribe, challenged the construction at the airport, arguing that it caused damage to the fragile Everglades ecosystem and threatened protected species.
Financially, the site became a subject of controversy. The total cost of establishing and operating the detention center has been estimated to exceed $1 billion. While the federal government has approved substantial reimbursements to the state—amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars—full repayment to Florida remains incomplete.
Looking ahead, questions about the future of the land are emerging. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava indicated her administration intends to explore repurposing the county-owned property. Given its remote location, limited aviation value, and high upkeep costs, officials are considering transferring the land to the National Park Service or partners involved in Everglades restoration efforts. Levine Cava emphasized that conservation would be the preferred use for the site, noting its proximity to one of the world’s most significant wetland ecosystems.