Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center could be closing soon.
The facility faced a lengthy legal battle after it was established to help federal immigration authorities hold illegal aliens. But now, it appears it's time is coming to an end, according to Politico.
Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged Thursday that Florida may soon shutter “Alligator Alcatraz,” the immigration detention center built in the middle of the Everglades that had been a centerpiece of state and federal efforts to fulfill President Donald Trump’s deportation promises.
The Republican governor, who stressed he had always intended the facility to be temporary as the Trump administration ramped up its efforts, did not give out an exact timeline of when the center may be closed and return to its role as an aircraft training site.
“We knew that it would take some time for them to stand it up, but ultimately our goal on this was for that facility to be a bridge,” said DeSantis following a bill signing ceremony in Lakeland. “If they can handle that, then yeah that would be great for us to break that facility down.”
The center opened with great fanfare from the president’s allies and even drew a visit from Trump. But it has been sharply criticized by immigration advocates and Democrats over its operations, while environmental and tribal groups filed lawsuits challenging its construction.
“Alligator Alcatraz,” or the South Florida Detention Facility, has also been a costly endeavor, but DeSantis declared it a success and said that nearly 22,000 people who were not in the country lawfully had been processed for deportation. He said people would have been released back into the community if the detention center had not been opened.
“If we shut the lights out tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose,” DeSantis said.
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Governor Ron DeSantis is now saying that he will be closing Alligator Alcatraz since it was just supposed to be a temporary detainment facility and it cost $1 million dollars per day to keep open. He still hasn’t been reimbursed the $608 million that from the Federal Government. pic.twitter.com/HPSCoFQihf
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) May 13, 2026
CBS News reported that Florida informed companies that operate the facility that it plans to close up shop by June. The 1,400 detainees will be transferred to other centers.
The reason for closing the center is primarily financial as cost projections have risen to over $1 billion. Records show that Florida is shelling out $1.2 million per day to operate the tent complex built on an Everglades airstrip.
The facility has drawn criticism and a slew of lawsuits over alleged damage to the environment, endangered species, and tribal lands. Others claimed detainees were subject to unnecessarily harsh conditions and due process violations.
The legal battle started when environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe filed a lawsuit last year to halt construction on the facility. They argued the project violated environmental laws. A federal district judge later ordered the state to pause new construction and then ramp down operations after viewing evidence of harm to the environment.
Florida appealed the ruling and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the injunction in April. It ruled that because the state built and operated the center and had not yet received federal reimbursement, it was not “federally controlled.” This means it was not required to go through a federal environmental review.
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