{"id":86800,"date":"2026-06-25T12:34:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/floridas-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center-shutting-down-for-good\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T12:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:34:26","slug":"floridas-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center-shutting-down-for-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/floridas-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center-shutting-down-for-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Shutting Down for Good"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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OCHOPEE, Fla. \u2014 The makeshift immigration detention center carved out of the Florida swamplands and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” is shutting down for good, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.<\/p>

The Republican governor said the facility was designed from the start to be a short-term solution, intended to stay open for roughly a year while more permanent detention infrastructure was put in place. Now that federal officials have adequate capacity elsewhere, the center’s job is done.<\/p>

“It served its purpose for the time,” DeSantis said.<\/p>

Authorities had already announced a temporary shutdown earlier in June, citing safety concerns tied to hurricane season. Officials determined it was too dangerous to continue housing detainees in the Florida Everglades during storm season, and everyone held at the remote airstrip location was transferred to other facilities.<\/p>

The center was constructed by DeSantis’ administration in just a matter of days in 2025. President Trump later visited the site, and both he and DeSantis described it as a key part of Republican efforts to deport people living in the country without legal status. The governor said 21,000 individuals were deported through the facility during its operation.<\/p>

However, immigration advocates consistently argued the tent-based facility was neither safe nor humane. Detainees themselves described troubling conditions, including worms found in food, toilets that did not function properly, floors flooded with sewage, and swarms of mosquitoes and other insects throughout the facility. Many also reported having difficulty reaching legal representation while held there.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The controversial immigration detention facility in the Florida swamps, nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ is permanently closing after operating for nearly a year. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the center was always intended to be temporary and that federal authorities now have sufficient capacity at more permanent facilities. The site held thousands of immigrant detainees and processed 21,000 deportations before its closure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":86799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782405266153.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-mA0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":72820,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/florida-everglades-detention-facility-nicknamed-alligator-alcatraz-faces-closure\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":0},"title":"Florida Everglades Detention Facility Nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Faces Closure","author":"Admin","date":"May 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A detention facility located in the Florida Everglades, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' could be shutting down soon. Officials say the costs of operating the remote facility have become prohibitive.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779916061454.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":64167,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/immigration-facility-known-as-alligator-alcatraz-may-shut-down-due-to-high-costs\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":1},"title":"Immigration Facility Known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ May Shut Down Due to High Costs","author":"Admin","date":"May 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Florida immigration detention facility that earned the nickname 'Alligator Alcatraz' could be shutting down in the near future. Officials cite the facility's high operating expenses as the primary reason for the potential closure.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778328417307.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":83444,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/all-detainees-cleared-out-of-alligator-alcatraz-amid-hurricane-season-concerns\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":2},"title":"All Detainees Cleared Out of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Amid Hurricane Season Concerns","author":"Admin","date":"June 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Every detainee held at the controversial immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' has been moved to other locations. The Department of Homeland Security announced the transfers, pointing to concerns tied to the ongoing hurricane season.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83180,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/dhs-confirms-all-detainees-transferred-out-of-alligator-alcatraz-facility\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":3},"title":"DHS Confirms All Detainees Transferred Out of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Facility","author":"Admin","date":"June 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that every detainee held at the controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades has been moved to other facilities. Officials cited concerns about hurricane season as the reason for the transfers. The facility had faced intense criticism from lawyers,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781728383828.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781728383828.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781728383828.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781728383828.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27329,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/massive-florida-wildfire-burns-25000-acres-near-alligator-alcatraz-detention-center\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":4},"title":"Massive Florida Wildfire Burns 25,000 Acres Near ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center","author":"Admin","date":"February 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Firefighters in South Florida are working to control a massive blaze that has consumed over 25,000 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve. The wildfire is burning about 20 miles from the controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention facility, forcing periodic closures of Interstate 75.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772055223410.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772055223410.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772055223410.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772055223410.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63466,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/florida-governor-says-everglades-immigration-facility-was-always-temporary\/","url_meta":{"origin":86800,"position":5},"title":"Florida Governor Says Everglades Immigration Facility Was Always Temporary","author":"Admin","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated Thursday that the controversial immigration detention facility nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz' was never intended to be permanent. The facility in the Florida Everglades has processed over 22,000 detainees since opening last summer but faces criticism over conditions and costs exceeding $1 million daily.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778200654126.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778200654126.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778200654126.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778200654126.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}