Florida officials reportedly plan to close the controversial federal migrant detention center nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz', with vendors told detainees should be moved by early June and the site dismantled in subsequent weeks. The facility — built for about $250 million — held an average of roughly 1,400 detainees from Oct. 1, 2025 through early April. Advocates have alleged harsh conditions, including continuous bright lights, restricted access to medication and limited legal counsel. DHS says it is evaluating detention needs and denies pressuring the state to close the center.
Florida to Close 'Alligator Alcatraz' — Controversial $250M Migrant Detention Center To Shut By June, Report Says
The entrance of "Alligator Alcatraz" ICE detention center in the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, U.S. August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Eva Marie Uzcategui
Florida officials plan to close the federal migrant detention center known as 'Alligator Alcatraz', the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a federal official and three people familiar with the facility's operations.
Vendors were reportedly told Tuesday afternoon that the facility would close and that detainees were expected to be relocated by the start of June. Sources told the newspaper the site, which cost about $250 million to build, would be dismantled over the following weeks.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data showed the agency held an average of roughly 1,400 detainees at the facility from Oct. 1, 2025, through early April. Advocates and legal groups have criticized conditions at the center, alleging that bright lights remained on around the clock, some detainees were denied medication, and the site's remote location hindered access to legal counsel.
'Any reports that DHS is pressuring the state to cease operations at Alligator Alcatraz are false,' a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, adding that DHS is still assessing detention needs and operational requirements.
The detention center opened while Kristi Noem served as Homeland Security Secretary. It sits about 37 miles (60 km) west of Miami in a vast subtropical wetland inhabited by alligators, crocodiles and pythons — an image the White House used to underscore its determination to remove migrants. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The potential closure comes amid ongoing political debate over immigration policy. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long made aggressive immigration and border measures central to his agenda and owns a home in Florida, has frequently highlighted tough enforcement measures in his public messaging.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Ted Hesson; editing by Michelle Nichols)
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