Immigration officials have moved all detainees out of Florida's controversial Everglades detention facility, known colloquially as "Alligator Alcatraz," according to an announcement from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday. The agency cited hurricane season preparedness as the reason for the transfers but refused to disclose how many people were relocated or which facilities received them.
The state-run detention center, which opened in July 2025 in the remote Everglades, became a symbol of hardline immigration enforcement after gaining attention for its harsh operating conditions. The facility carries a daily operational cost of approximately $1.2 million to Florida taxpayers.
ICE's sparse statement offered minimal detail about the relocation logistics. "For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities," the agency said, citing the approaching hurricane season as justification for moving people out of the temporary soft-sided structures.
A record of abuse allegations
The closure followed months of documented complaints from detainees and human rights organizations. Amnesty International's December 2025 investigation detailed allegations that people were shackled in a 2-foot-high metal cage and left outdoors without access to water for extended periods. One detainee described watching guards force ten officers into a cell to violently subdue fellow inmates who merely asked for his medication, then place those inmates in "the box" as punishment for a full day.
More recently, The Guardian reported that over half a dozen detainees alleged they received water containing mosquito larvae. These detainees claimed prison staff used the contaminated water as leverage to coerce them into signing English-language documents they could not read or comprehend.
Florida Department of Emergency Management officials, which oversee the facility's day-to-day operations, pushed back on the allegations in a statement. A department spokesperson insisted that "medical facilities and staff, including a pharmacy, are available 24/7 to detainees," though the statement did not address the specific abuse complaints.
Governor Ron DeSantis acknowledged last month that the state constructed no permanent buildings at the site because "we knew it was going to be temporary," without providing any timeline for formal closure. The New York Times reported in May that Florida officials had informed vendors that transfers would begin in early June, based on conversations with federal officials and three individuals with knowledge of the plans.
Author James Rodriguez: "ICE's refusal to say where these people went or how many were moved raises more questions than it answers, and the agency's silence on the documented abuse allegations speaks volumes."
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