US EditionTop Florida official says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will likely be empty within days, email shows
An email from Florida's Emergency Management Director indicates the detention center will soon hold zero detainees amid ongoing legal battles over environmental and procedural concerns.
- Friday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams ordered Alligator Alcatraz to wind down and clear detainees within sixty days, while the state of Florida appealed and sought a stay from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
- The lawsuit by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe alleged officials bypassed required environmental reviews, harming sensitive Everglades wetlands, while the State of Florida argues NEPA does not apply to the state-run facility.
- The facility was rapidly constructed two months ago to hold up to 3,000 detainees as part of a more than 4,000-bed operation with state contracts exceeding $245 million, while civil rights attorneys reported severe issues including detainees held without charges and poor hygiene conditions.
- State lawyers warned the injunction would inflict irreparable harm on enforcement and public safety by straining overcrowded facilities, while environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe countered rapid emptying undermines these hardship claims.
- An email on Aug. 22 from Kevin Guthrie signaled the site could be emptied in days, intersecting with national politics including President Donald Trump's visits and about $400 million in projected costs as the judge ordered clearance by late October.
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88 Articles
State appeals 'Alcatraz' environmental ruling
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration quickly appealed a federal judge’s ruling that sided with environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe and required winding down operations at a controversial immigrant-detention facility in the Everglades.
Alligator Alcatraz Immigrant Detention Camp in Everglades May Be Emptied
The detention camp in the Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz may soon be emptied, just two months after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had it built to help President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport millions of immigrants.
Top Florida official suggested Alligator Alcatraz could be empty within days, email shows
TALLAHASSEE — A top Florida official suggested last week that Alligator Alcatraz could be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and the federal government fight a judge’s order to shutter the controversial Everglades immigrant detention facility by late October. That’s according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press. In a message sent to South Florida Rabbi Mario Rojzman on Aug. 22 relate…
The 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades is not operating at its maximum capacity and will be empty in the coming days.
Immigration facility 'Alligator Alcatraz' will have no detainees in the next few days, Florida official says
Sign for “Alligator Alcatraz” at the entrance to the detention center in the Everglades, Florida, United States, on August 24, 2025. (Jesus Olarte/Anadolu via Getty Images) (OCHOPEE, Fla.) — The controversial immigration facility in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” will soon have no detainees in it, according to an email obtained by ABC News. The email was sent by Kevin Guthrie, the head of the Florida Division of Emergency M…
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