U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has emptied the temporary detention facility in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” relocating all detainees ahead of hurricane season, the agency confirmed. The move comes after months of litigation and criticism over conditions at the makeshift jail, which was built on an abandoned airstrip and surrounded by swampland.
An ICE spokesperson said the transfers were carried out jointly with Florida state authorities, but declined to specify how many people were moved or which facilities they were sent to. “For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities,” the spokesperson said, citing the onset of hurricane season as the reason.
The facility, which opened during the Trump administration, was touted by officials at the time as a deterrent due to its harsh environment and dangerous wildlife. Detainees were held in chain-link fence cells, and reports of cruel conditions sparked a wave of lawsuits. Advocacy groups had long called for its closure.
There has been confusion over the facility's long-term status. CBS News reported last month that the site could shut down by June. But Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin later told the outlet that ICE had no official plan to close it, even though it then held about 1,400 detainees. Mullin acknowledged that contingency plans existed for natural emergencies. “We have plans in case of a natural emergency such as a wildfire or hurricane, to have to be able to bring it down and pull the individuals out,” he said.
Litigation over the facility initially led to court orders requiring its closure, but an appeals court later blocked that ruling, allowing operations to continue. The legal fight highlighted broader tensions over immigration enforcement and detention standards.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters Tuesday that the site was never intended as a permanent solution. “The state doesn’t direct people there. It’s DHS that directs them there. And so if DHS stops directing them there, then we obviously are not just going to. It was never meant to be permanent,” he said, according to NBC News. DeSantis added, “I think when we did it, we thought that it would be six months to a year in terms of the necessity of it.”
The evacuation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of ICE policies. A recent report revealed that ICE has ended death reporting for released detainees, raising further concerns about transparency. Meanwhile, the political fallout from tough enforcement tactics continues, as Vance faced tough questions on 'The View' over immigration enforcement fallout.
With hurricane season now underway, the future of “Alligator Alcatraz” remains uncertain. Whether the facility will reopen or be permanently shuttered depends on DHS decisions and the outcome of ongoing litigation. For now, the site stands empty, a symbol of a temporary solution that lasted far longer than originally planned.
