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Gov. Ron DeSantis announces Alligator Alcatraz has 'zero detainees' after it 'fulfilled' its role

DeSantis says about 21,000 people have been deported from the facility since it opened nearly a year ago

Gov. Ron DeSantis Facebook page

By: Scott Sutton , Forrest Saunders, Associated Press

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OCHOPEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and White House Border Czar Tom Homan held a Thursday morning news conference at Alligator Alcatraz to announce that the controversial facility located in the Everglades has closed after it "fulfilled the role" in helping the federal government deport thousands who were in the U.S. illegally.

The briefing was held following recent reports that the facility was closing soon.

WATCH BELOW: With 'Alligator Alcatraz' winding down, battle shifts to costs, cleanup, conservation

With 'Alligator Alcatraz' winding down, battle shifts to costs, cleanup and conservation

This comes nearly a year after the controversial opening of the detention center deep in the Everglades that included a visit from President Donald Trump.

DeSantis said Thursday that about 21,000 people have been deported from the facility since it opened nearly a year ago, many of which he said had "massive rap sheets."

"This would be people, by and large, who would have been released back into society in Florida, had this space not been there," DeSantis said.

The governor said Thursday that Alligator Alcatraz has "zero detainees" and helped to remove "many, many dangerous people."

"The detainees that were here are still in federal custody. The demobilization efforts here at this facility are underway," DeSantis said. "There's no question that this mission has made the state of Florida safer. ... I have no doubt that this saved lives."

State and federal officials have previously moved detainees out, with ICE citing hurricane-season safety concerns.

WATCH BELOW: DeSantis announces Alligator Alcatraz has 'zero detainees'

Alligator Alcatraz now has 'zero detainees,' DeSantis says

DeSantis has argued the temporary site served its purpose by helping with immigration enforcement, but the closure comes after months of criticism over the facility's cost, legal access, religious access and alleged treatment of detainees.

The governor said Thursday that Florida's efforts to help the federal government detain and deport people in the country illegally would continue.

"Our 287(g) agreements are still in effect. Our Baker County facility is still in operation, and the mission continues, but DHS is on a better footing. DHS has more capacity to be able to handle these folks," DeSantis said.

Homan praised Florida's governor for helping the federal government and Trump's deportation efforts.

"(DeSantis) stepped up in the time of need and he continues to step up. Today doesn't end the cooperation," Homan said.

The country's border czar said that over "1 million deportations" have occured since Trump took office last year, claiming that illegal immigration was "down 97%" at the border.

Reimbursement Questions Continue

Florida initially asked the federal government for nearly $1.5 billion to cover the cost of Alligator Alcatraz — more than double the $608 million FEMA grant that was later announced, according to documents obtained by WPTV in March.

When asked Thursday about when the state will be reimbursed by the federal government, DeSantis said "that'll happen" but did not offer a timeline.

DeSantis said Florida expects to be reimbursed by the federal government, acknowledging that not all the money has arrived yet but insisting the state is on solid financial footing.

Hector Diaz, managing partner of Your Immigration Attorney — who has represented detainees held at the facility — disputed the governor’s victory-lap framing. He said Florida taxpayers could be left with a massive bill if federal reimbursement falls short.

"The big losers in this case is the state of Florida," Diaz said.

He argued the state spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the facility while receiving only a fraction back so far.

Closure Comes after Year of Controversy and Lawsuits

Critics say the next phase of the Alligator Alcatraz fight may be just as consequential as the detention operation itself.

Alligator Alcatraz population dropping. Where are detainees going?

Environmental groups are preparing to continue their federal lawsuit, arguing the state and federal governments still need to account for what was built, what damage was done and how the site will be restored.

Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity sued last year under the National Environmental Policy Act. They argued officials failed to conduct required environmental review before the facility was built at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a county-owned site surrounded by sensitive Everglades habitat.

"It is welcome news, but the harm is continuing," Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples said of reports that detainees had been removed.

Samples said her group wants the site returned to the lightly used training runway that existed before the detention facility was built. She said public records obtained through separate litigation showed the project carried staggering costs, including an estimated $1.2 million per day and roughly $1.49 billion in total projected expenses.

Immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers have said the tents at Alligator Alcatraz were never safe or humane for holding people. Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers and described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that didn't flush, floors flooded with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.

The detention center was built by DeSantis' administration in a matter of days and opened in July 2025. DeSantis and Trump said the detention center was critical to Republican efforts to return people in the country illegally back to their home countries.

Lawyers for the immigrants at the facility said their clients suddenly started leaving for other facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas earlier this month, disappearing for about a week before their attorneys and families were told where they were sent.

Advocates for immigrants said closing Alligator Alcatraz does nothing to stop the harm of people who spend months in custody as their families suffer.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition said the only winners were corporations and contractors who profited millions of dollars as Republicans pushed an immigration emergency that does not exist.

The human impact is also ongoing. Diaz said some detainees have been moved to other facilities, including Baker County, New Mexico and Texas. He said those transfers could delay bond hearings, asylum hearings and other court dates.

"All those court dates have been pushed back," Diaz said.

What's next for Alligator Alcatraz following closure?

What's the Future of the Site?

DeSantis said the airstrip in the Everglades that the facility was built around will continue to be used.

At the same time, Miami-Dade County is now laying out a different future for the land.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Thursday that her administration intends to pursue the sale and transfer of county-controlled lands at the Dade-Collier airport to the National Park Service and other Everglades restoration partners once the detention facility is decommissioned.

In a memo to county commissioners, Levine Cava said the administration will evaluate the legal process for transferring the land so it can be incorporated into Everglades restoration efforts.

"Once this facility is decommissioned, we have an opportunity to permanently protect these lands for Everglades restoration and ensure they remain protected for generations to come," Levine Cava said. "That is the legacy we should leave.”

Her administration said a review found the airport no longer represents the best long-term use of the property because of its remote location, limited aviation value, maintenance obligations and increasing conflict with surrounding conservation lands.

The county said potential options could include conservation easements, deed restrictions, intergovernmental agreements, land exchanges or a full property transfer. Any final recommendation would still require legal, environmental, operational and financial review before returning to the Miami-Dade County Commission.

The mayor’s office also said the county’s Department of Environmental Resources Management recently attempted to inspect the property but was unable to access the site because of an ongoing security sweep. Environmental advocates said that fits a broader pattern of limited transparency.

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