'Alligator Alcatraz,' a controversial immigration detention centre in Florida, shut down on June 25, 2026, after less than one year in operation, Governor Ron DeSantis announced [1, 2, 3]. The facility opened in July 2025 on a remote airfield in the Florida Everglades after being assembled in about eight days in June 2025 [1, 3].
The centre housed detainees awaiting immigration hearings or deportation, with a capacity for up to 5,000 people [1, 3]. Governor DeSantis said the facility had fulfilled its emergency role and held zero detainees at closure. He stated it helped remove "many, many dangerous people" from Florida and the US, contributing to public safety [1, 3].
Detainees reported harsh conditions including tents filled with mosquitoes, lack of flushing toilets, worms in food, and flooded floors contaminated with waste, raising concerns about the facility's safety and sanitation [2]. Following closure, hazardous waste cleanup continues, drawing environmental concern [4].
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe challenged the detention centre, citing damage to the Everglades ecosystem. They filed lawsuits and held hearings in 2025, pointing to 20 acres of paving without permits and bright artificial lighting that disrupted wildlife including nearly 2,000 acres of Florida panther habitat [1, 4]. Friends of the Everglades called the centre a “failure, an obscene waste of taxpayer dollars and an abuse of the Everglades” [4].
DeSantis and officials maintained the site was designed as a "self-contained" facility to minimize environmental impact and praised efforts to contain harm to surrounding areas [1, 4, 3]. The estimated cost exceeded US$1 billion, with federal funds reimbursing hundreds of millions, though Florida has not yet been fully repaid [1]. Environmental groups, however, cited a lower cost estimate of $608 million, showing disagreement over project expenses [1, 4].
The closure was partly attributed to the beginning of hurricane season, which made continued detention at the site unsafe [1, 2]. In early June 2026, detainees were temporarily transferred from the facility due to storm risks [1, 2]. Governor DeSantis confirmed on June 25 that the facility would not reopen [1, 2, 3].
