The facility has faced criticism for unsafe and inhumane conditions, including worms in food and toilets that did not flush
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAssociated PressPublished: 2:33am, 26 Jun 2026“Alligator Alcatraz,” the remote Florida immigration detention centre that faced harsh criticism for its conditions, has shut down nearly a year after opening, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday.
DeSantis said the centre at an isolated airstrip in the Everglades was always meant to be only temporary until more permanent detention facilities could be secured, and federal officials now have that capacity.
“It served its purpose for the time,” the Republican governor said at a news conference.
Officials announced a temporary closure of the facility earlier in June and sent all of the detainees to other facilities, saying hurricane season made it unsafe to keep them in the Everglades.
Immigration advocates said the tents 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 did not flush, floors flooded with faecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.
