DeSantis Closes Alligator Alcatraz After 21,000 Deportations as Abuse Claims Made Jail Politically Toxic
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 25
DeSantis Closes Alligator Alcatraz After 21,000 Deportations as Abuse Claims Made Jail Politically Toxic
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 25
Summary
21,000 deportations later, Ron DeSantis confirmed Florida has shut and dismantled the Everglades detention site known as Alligator Alcatraz, saying all remaining detainees were transferred into federal ICE custody.
47 weekly protests and multiplying reports of physical abuse, isolation from lawyers and other inhumane treatment turned the jail into a political liability, according to critics who said public pressure forced the closure.
DeSantis and border czar Tom Homan defended the facility as a public-safety tool, with DeSantis citing 10 detainees with serious records and Homan claiming—without evidence—that up to 70% arrested were criminals or faced charges.
Media investigations during the jail's year in operation found hundreds of detainees had no criminal record, undercutting claims that the site held only dangerous offenders; nationally, most ICE detainees have no criminal convictions.
The closure leaves unresolved fights over cost and impact: Florida reportedly spent $1.2 million a day and wants up to $1 billion in federal reimbursement, while lawsuits over alleged Everglades damage continue.