DHS clears Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ before hurricane season
What’s next: Officials did not say how many detainees were moved, where all were sent, or whether the Everglades site will reopen.
All detainees held at the South Florida Detention Center in the Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” were transferred to other facilities as hurricane season began, the Department of Homeland Security said. The agency gave no detainee count and did not say whether the site is closing permanently or only for the season. Some people are expected to be sent to another ICE facility in Sanderson, Florida. The state-run center opened July 3, 2025, after a rapid buildout under Gov. Ron DeSantis, and President Donald Trump toured it before operations began. Lawyers, families and rights groups have criticized conditions there, citing poor access to attorneys, flooding, insects, broken toilets and contaminated food.