Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" shutting down permanently, sources say

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News/Miami, FL

Updated on: June 22, 2026 / 1:07 PM EDT


Companies hired by the state to operate the Florida immigration facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" were notified Monday morning to begin "full demobilization" of the facility, quietly bringing an ignominious close a $1.2 billion experiment that had once been hailed by Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump as a model other states should pursue, four sources familiar with the operations of the detention center told CBS News Miami.

"All vendors got the notice," one source explained.

The announcement was made by Kevin Guthrie, Florida's Emergency Management director, during a morning conference call with the vendors. Guthrie told the vendors that he expected "significant progress by Wednesday" on clearing the site, according to one source. The final few detainees left the facility last week, either being transferred to other detention centers or deported to third countries. Federal and state officials at the time said it was due to safety concerns over the start of hurricane season. They even suggested the facility would remain ready to take on new detainees.

In fact, officials familiar with the plan told CBS News Miami that it was always the intention to begin full demobilization by taking down fencing and removing trailers and other structures built at the site located in the middle of the Florida Everglades.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-alligator-alcatraz-closing/

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The state of FL has yet to be reimbursed for this $1.2 billion poster child of Waste. Fraud. Abuse.

(snip)

Ultimately, though, the decision to close Alligator Alcatraz was due primarily to the escalating cost of operating the facility. The total cost for the detention center is now estimated to be $1.2 billion. Opened on July 3, 2025, during last year's hurricane season, the detention center was the brainchild of DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and built using state tax money. At the time, DeSantis maintained that the state would be reimbursed by the federal government for all of its expenses. However, that funding has yet to come through.

(snip)

REFERENCE (most recent) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143680508

[riversedge]

1. Holy Molyy!!! "The total cost for the detention center is now estimated to be $1.2 billion."

[moreland01]

2. I can think of some ways it can be used.

There are going to be a lot of former trump officials that will need a place to be jailed.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. They sre converting it BACK to being an airport for trainee pilots

[riversedge]

4. We can hope so.

[Beacool]

5. It should have never been opened in the first place.

It was a concentration camp in the subtropic.

[kimbutgar]

6. Will they be burying the dead detainees there ?

I would bet there are a lot of Unreported corpses left there. And ghe place is haunted by them!

I like supernatural stuff and wouldn’t be surprised if there are ghosts.

[MLWR]

7. One more great example of republiSCUM WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.