US EditionAlligator Alcatraz Conversion Could Cost Florida $218M
Federal judge cited environmental law violations and detainee rights issues in ordering the closure; Florida invested $245 million but the facility will soon be empty, officials said.
- Florida opened a migrant detention center called "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Everglades on July 1, 2025, which President Donald Trump toured that month.
- The facility's rapid construction and operation stemmed from Governor Ron DeSantis' push to expand deportations and address crowded local jails amid legal and environmental challenges.
- The detention center, featuring chain-link cages and white tents for up to 3,000 detainees, has faced multiple lawsuits over poor conditions and denied legal access, plus environmental concerns raised by tribes.
- State spending data shows Florida invested $218 million to convert an airstrip, signed $405 million in vendor contracts, and estimated $450 million annually to operate the center; shutting it down costs $15–20 million immediately.
- Following a judge's order to wind down operations, the Department of Homeland Security began moving detainees out, with officials stating the center may soon be empty and legal battles and second site plans continuing.
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Built in record time amidst the crocodiles of Florida's swamps and praised by US President Trump, just 60 days – and $2.5 billion – later, the controversial migrant camp "Alligator Alcatraz" is closing.
Complying with Judge's Order to Dismantle It, ICE Stops Sending Human Beings to 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Federal officials are complying with a judge’s order and have stopped sending immigrants to a detention center in the Everglades, less than two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration launched the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in support of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The post Complying with Judge’s Order to Dismantle It, ICE Stops Sending Human Beings to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ appeared first on FlaglerLive.
Ashley Moody says 'activist litigants' swayed Alligator Alcatraz judge
Florida’s former Attorney General and current U.S. Senator is criticizing a decision by a federal judge that orders the shutdown of Florida’s pre-deportation lockup Alligator Alcatraz. Ashley Moody argued Friday that Judge Kathleen Williams sided with “activist litigants” over the interests of the state in ruling for a cessation of operations on the tent prison erected at a South Florida training airport. “This is why the public is becoming incr…
Florida Faces Over $200 Million in Losses as 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center Nears Closure
Florida's immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" may soon close following a federal court order, leaving the state facing steep financial losses estimated to be around $218 million
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