Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention center, a facility established amid a national immigration crackdown, has officially closed, state and federal officials announced on June 25. The center, located on a remote airstrip in the Everglades near Ochopee, processed over 22,000 detainees from its opening in July 2025 until its closure earlier this month.

Anthony Coker, executive director of the Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement, described the closure as a mission accomplished, noting the facility currently holds no detainees. Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking at a press event attended by White House Border Czar Tom Homan and others, emphasized that Alligator Alcatraz was a temporary response to an emergency situation. According to DeSantis, the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lacked sufficient resources to manage the influx of immigrants last summer, and the facility provided a necessary space while additional federal funding was pending.

“This was an emergency situation,” DeSantis said, explaining that DHS was unable to accommodate detainees due to insufficient space and resources, which prompted Florida’s intervention.

Following the facility’s shutdown, attention has turned to the future use of the 17,000-acre site. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed support for incorporating the land into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a major federal initiative aimed at restoring the Everglades ecosystem. Levine Cava highlighted concerns raised about the detention center’s impact on both human rights and the environment, particularly its location adjacent to a delicate and globally significant ecosystem.

“From the very beginning, I have raised serious concerns about the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility because people have been held there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process, while occupying land alongside one of the world’s most precious natural ecosystems,” Levine Cava stated. She called for permanent protection of the area to preserve it for future generations.

The facility’s closure follows reports and congressional confirmations in recent weeks that on-site vendors were instructed to begin full demobilization. While DHS cited the need to relocate detainees for their safety amid the hurricane season as recently as mid-June, Florida officials now acknowledge the permanent cessation of operations.

Alligator Alcatraz faced significant criticism since its inception. The facility was costly to operate and sparked opposition from local indigenous groups, environmental advocates, and activists. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, which filed a lawsuit last year seeking closure and removal of the facility’s infrastructure, continues its legal fight, according to tribal member Betty Osceola.

Environmental organizations, including Friends of the Everglades, have also pursued litigation alleging the state failed to conduct necessary environmental impact assessments prior to construction and withheld public records linked to facility expenditures. The group’s executive director, Eve Samples, called the detention center a historic failure, citing damage to the Everglades and a taxpayer burden exceeding $1 billion.

“Our government failed to protect the Everglades and failed to follow basic environmental laws – while racking up a $1 billion tab paid by taxpayers,” Samples said. She pledged continued legal efforts to ensure the facility’s permanent closure and remediation of environmental harm.

As the site transitions away from its temporary use as an immigration detention center, stakeholders are focused on restoring and protecting the Everglades habitat, while the broader political and legal debates surrounding the facility’s operation persist.