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Florida Empties Alligator Alcatraz Detention Center and Orders Permanent Shutdown Ahead of Hurricane Season
The Independent reported that Florida officials emptied the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center earlier this month. All detainees were transferred to other facilities as a safety measure before the June-to-November hurricane season. The site, which held more than 1,000 people, may close permanently due to high costs.
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Florida officials emptied the immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz of all detainees earlier this month. The Independent reported that every person held there was transferred to other facilities as a safety precaution ahead of the June-to-November hurricane season. The facility’s structures can withstand winds of only up to 74 miles per hour.
Alligator Alcatraz opened last July on a decommissioned airstrip about 40 miles west of Miami. It was built in eight days by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and held more than 1,000 detainees.
The center was one of several ICE facilities opened under then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. On Monday, CBS News reported that the site will shut down permanently. ” Gov. Ron DeSantis stated on May 8 that almost 22,000 people had been processed at the facility for deportation.
Total expenses are projected to exceed $1 billion. State officials requested $608 million in federal reimbursement, a sum approved but still tied up in legal challenges. A July 2025 YouGov survey found 48 percent of respondents opposed the facility’s opening, 33 percent supported it, and 18 percent were unsure.
