The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that all detainees at the South Florida Detention Center, known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ have been transferred to other facilities. This decision was made due to concerns related to the upcoming hurricane season.

Background

The South Florida Detention Center, located in an isolated area of the Florida Everglades, has been the subject of criticism from lawyers, families, and human rights groups since its opening 11 months ago. Detainees have reported poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that don’t flush, and flooding floors with fecal waste.

The facility was built by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days and was toured by former President Donald Trump on July 1, 2025, just two days before it was opened. Despite the criticism, the facility has processed and deported 22,000 detainees since its opening, according to DeSantis.

Transfer of Detainees

DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis stated that the transfer of detainees was done ‘for the safety of the illegal alien detainees.’ However, the department did not specify how many detainees were transferred or where they were taken. Immigration advocates and lawyers reported an increase in the transfer of detainees to other facilities over the past two weeks, with some losing contact with dozens of detainees.

Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney at Sanctuary of the South, reported that all 50 of her clients who were being held at the facility have been moved to other facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.