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After Alligator Alcatraz closes, detainees scattered across the U.S. as legal battles continue

After 'Alligator Alcatraz' closes, detainees have been scattered across the country and some wonder if there’s still a way forward

theyve scattered them everywhere Alligator Alcatraz June 2026.png

Jim Sitton/WPTV

By: Joel Lopez

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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — We’ve been covering “Alligator Alcatraz” — the controversial detention facility deep in the Florida Everglades — extensively over the past year.
Now that the doors have shut for good, the question remains: What happens to those who were never deported?

WATCH BELOW: 'I had a client moved all the way to Tacoma, Washington,' Immigration attorney Richard Hujber tells WPTV's Joel Lopez

Alligator Alcatraz closes, but detainees' legal battles continue

Immigration attorney Richard Hujber said the answer is complicated and, for many families, heartbreaking.

“So where do these people go?” asked WPTV Reporter Joel Lopez.

“They’ve scattered them everywhere,” said Hujber.

According to Hujber, detainees have been sent to facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and even New Mexico.

“I had a client moved all the way to Tacoma, Washington, like it can’t get farther than that,” Hujber said.

While moving detainees might sound like a logistical necessity, Hujber says it creates massive challenges when fighting for bonds and navigating immigration law.

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“There’s different laws in different circuit courts in different parts of the country,” he explained. “And in different circuits and in different parts of this country they have said no.”

With bond now out of reach for some, Hujber says detainees are left questioning whether they should keep pushing toward residency or asylum — or give up and self-deport.

“You are dead under the gun of ‘do I continue to fight this case, because if I can’t even get a bond, what’s the chance I’m going to get a green card or asylum?’”

Gov. Ron DeSantis says roughly 21,000 people have been deported from the facility since it opened nearly a year ago.

For others, the closure brought bittersweet relief — including Anna Maria Hernandez’s cousin, who was released just before Alligator Alcatraz shut down.

WATCH BELOW: Alligator Alcatraz closes — but the Everglades fight isn't over

Alligator Alcatraz closes — but the Everglades fight isn't over

“My cousin was detained here in Alligator Alcatraz,” Hernandez said. “We lived every day wondering if our family is safe.”

Her cousin is now under an order of supervision, which allows him to drive, work and live in the U.S. — a lifeline Hernandez hopes others will have a chance to receive.

“Don’t let another family experience the same suffering,” she urged.

Still, Hujber says the fight isn’t easy, and it’s ultimately up to the detainees themselves.

“The hardest thing, Joel, is the families want to keep fighting,” he said. “But it’s the decision of the person doing the time.”

The Baker County facility in North Florida remains operational, but for many former Alligator Alcatraz detainees and their families, the future is filled with uncertainty.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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