The remote Florida immigration detention center in the Everglades, often referred to as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ has shut down nearly a year after opening, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.

Detention Center Closure

DeSantis stated at a news conference that the facility, located at an isolated airstrip, was always intended to be temporary until federal officials secured permanent detention capacity. ‘It served its purpose for the time,’ DeSantis said. The Republican governor stated that the facility was successful in its objectives, noting, ‘There is no question this mission has made the state of Florida safer.’ He added that 21,000 people were deported through the facility.

The detention center was constructed by the DeSantis administration in a matter of days and opened in July 2025. DeSantis and President Donald Trump previously stated that the facility was a critical component of efforts to deport individuals who are in the country illegally.

Officials originally announced a temporary closure of the site earlier in June, citing safety risks associated with the hurricane season. All remaining detainees were moved to other locations. Lawyers representing the immigrants stated that their clients were abruptly transferred to facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas, and that families and attorneys were not informed of their locations for about a week.

Immigration advocates consistently criticized the use of the tents, arguing they were unsafe and inhumane. Detainees at the facility reported difficulties contacting legal counsel and described poor physical conditions, including malfunctioning toilets, floors flooded with fecal waste, widespread mosquitoes and insects, and worms in the food supply.

Advocates stated that the closure of the facility does not alleviate the impact on families whose relatives remain in long-term custody. The Florida Immigrant Coalition stated that the only entities to benefit from the operation were private corporations and contractors who earned millions of dollars in profits, asserting that the administration pushed an immigration emergency that does not exist.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.