OAN Staff Jenna Lee
6:38 PM – Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Following high-level discussions between the state of Florida and the Trump administration, Florida officials notified vendors on Tuesday of plans to shutter “Alligator Alcatraz,” the illegal alien detention center located deep in the Everglades.
According to reports, the decision to decommission the site stems primarily from unsustainable maintenance and operational costs, which have totaled hundreds of millions of dollars since the facility first opened on July 3, 2025.
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This internal announcement follows a recent report by The New York Times detailing ongoing negotiations regarding the center’s future.
Addressing the matter publicly on Tuesday during an appearance at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) responded to inquiries about the closure, emphasizing that the facility had fulfilled its temporary mission even as the state faced significant financial burdens from its daily operations.
“We knew it was going to be temporary. If we shut the lights out tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose,” said DeSantis, adding that receiving federal funds will take time.
Opened during the tenure of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the facility is situated 37 miles west of Miami within a subtropical wetland populated by alligators, crocodiles, and invasive pythons. This distinct environment was prominently featured in White House messaging to exemplify an intentional and rigorous approach to illegal alien removal.
In the wake of the closure announcement, environmental advocacy groups have expressed their intent to proceed with pending litigation, having previously challenged both federal and state officials in court over the hasty construction of the center on ecologically sensitive and culturally significant lands.
“We won’t let up until Alligator Alcatraz is shut down and its harm to the Everglades is completely remediated. This political stunt was a failure by every measure — our government failed the Everglades and failed taxpayers, and history will remember,” said Eve Samples, executive director of one of the groups, Friends of the Everglades, in a statement.
As operations wind down, it remains uncertain exactly where the current population of non-citizens will be relocated, though the federal government maintains a network of other detention facilities both within Florida and across the country.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, the Everglades facility held 1,383 detainees as of April 2, 2026, the most recent official figures available before the closure was announced.
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