Congressman Reports ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Facility Winding Down Operations
Florida’s controversial billion-dollar migrant detention facility in the Everglades is shutting down, with population dropping from 1,400 to 655 detainees in recent weeks.
EVERGLADES, FLORIDA — The controversial migrant detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” is shutting down operations, with detainees being transferred to other facilities and staff departing, according to a Florida congressman who toured the center this week.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, who represents the Orlando area, reported significant signs of closure after completing a pre-scheduled tour led by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Tuesday.
“What I saw is a facility that is being wound down and shut down,” Frost posted on social media immediately following his visit. “They’re not getting any new people. They’re just sending people to other facilities. There are 655 folks in it right now, when just a few weeks ago, there were 1,400 people.”
Facility Operations Declining
The Democratic congressman described witnessing a “silent” scene during his tour, with dwindling staff numbers, emptied office cubicles, and discussions among officials about “decompressing” the facility. He observed officials loading detainees onto a flight bound for another detention center during his visit.
“They said everything but, ‘This place is shutting down,'” Frost said in his social media report.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which operates the Everglades detention center, did not respond to requests for comment about the facility’s status.
Billion-Dollar Price Tag Drives Closure
Frost’s observations align with previous reports indicating the facility would close by June, approximately one year after construction began. The New York Times reported earlier this month that concerns over the center’s estimated $1 billion price tag played a role in the decision to expedite the shutdown.
According to state figures, the facility costs roughly $1 million per day to operate. While the detention center was always designed as a temporary facility, the massive financial burden has accelerated closure plans.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s executive director, have maintained they received no “official” communications from the federal government about ending operations at the site.
Outstanding Federal Reimbursements
Florida officials continue waiting for a $608 million reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for facility operations. FEMA informed state officials to expect $58 million by last Friday, though neither the state agency nor FEMA have confirmed whether that payment was received.
This marked Frost’s third visit to the makeshift detention facility, which was hastily constructed on a largely abandoned airport deep within the Everglades. The congressman has been monitoring conditions at the facility since its opening.
The closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” represents the end of one of Florida’s most expensive and controversial immigration enforcement initiatives, which housed more than 1,400 detainees at its peak capacity just weeks ago.
