OCHOPEE, Fla. – Florida’s controversial immigration detention center, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,†is expected to close as early as June, according to a report from The New York Times.
The facility, located in the Florida Everglades, opened last summer and has processed 22,000 detainees since then.
Vendors at the center were notified Tuesday that it would be closing and that detainees would be moved out by the start of June, The New York Times reported. It remains unclear where those detainees will be relocated after the center closes.
Once the facility is emptied, it is expected to be dismantled over the following weeks.
Florida has been spending over $1 million per day to operate the facility, and DeSantis has stated he anticipates reimbursement from the federal government. The state is still awaiting the $608 million it has requested.
Florida has been spending over $1 million per day to operate the facility, and DeSantis has stated he anticipates reimbursement from the federal government. The state is still awaiting the $608 million it has requested.
Speaking at a news conference in Lakeland, DeSantis said the detention center was never intended to be a permanent fixture.
“At some point, we will, of course, break it down. That was always the goal,†DeSantis said.
The governor did not provide additional details on a specific timeline or the fate of remaining detainees.
No federal or state officials have publicly announced a receiving location or a plan for managing the population after the move.
Detainees at the facility have also described poor physical conditions and difficulty accessing lawyers.
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