Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday confirmed the closure of the notorious Alligator Alcatraz immigration jail in the Everglades, boasting that 21,000 people had been deported from the facility during its year-long operation. Standing beside Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, at a press conference at the dismantled site in Ochopee, DeSantis framed the jail’s operation as a victory for aggressive immigration enforcement.
DeSantis defends the facility’s record
“Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role it was designed to serve,” DeSantis said, adding that all detainees held there until last week had been transferred to federal immigration custody. “When you start talking about 21,000 folks, that without question has made our state safer, and it’s made the country safer as well,” he added. The governor emphasized that most detainees were criminals, citing ten individuals with “massive rap sheets” including sexual assault of minors, drug trafficking, fraud, DUI, and domestic battery.
Cost and controversy
The jail, hastily constructed last summer at a defunct municipal training airport, reportedly cost Florida taxpayers $1.2 million per day. Critics, however, condemned the facility as a political liability, citing reports of inhumane treatment, physical abuse, and isolation from legal representation. Noelle Damico, director of social justice at the Workers Circle advocacy group, said the closure resulted from “relentless action” by thousands of protesters. “We denounced the brutality, lawlessness, chaos and corruption that was Alligator Alcatraz. We, the people, made it politically toxic,” Damico said.
Human rights and environmental concerns
Media investigations contradicted claims by DeSantis and Homan that detainees were primarily dangerous criminals. Hundreds had no criminal records, with their only violation being illegal entry, a civil offense. The majority of ICE detainees nationwide lack criminal convictions. The jail also faced a lawsuit from advocacy groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, alleging pollution and concrete slabs damaged the fragile Everglades wetlands. DeSantis claimed the site was well-contained, but environmental impact remains under scrutiny.
Federal reimbursement and future of immigration enforcement
DeSantis said he expects the federal government to reimburse Florida up to $1 billion spent on the jail, though no timeline was provided. Damico warned the fight continues, as DeSantis promotes a “deportation depot” at a former prison in Baker County. “They tried to convince Americans to hate and fear immigrants and tolerate brutality. They failed,” she said, adding, “This is not the America we will become.”
