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2d ago

DHS Begins Exit From Everglades Detention Site After Judge Orders 60-Day Shutdown

The judge said the project proceeded without required environmental review or Miccosukee consultation.

South Florida immigrant detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz may close, carrying a $218 million price tag.
Members of "Leaders of Faith and Conscience" hold placards as they attend a weekly interfaith vigil outside the immigrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on August 24, 2025.
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Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams halted new transfers and ordered the Dade-Collier site dismantled within 60 days, later denying Florida’s bid to keep it open during appeal.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has started relocating detainees, and a state email indicated the compound could be emptied within days.
  • Florida reports spending about $218 million to convert the former airstrip, with immediate shutdown costs of $15–20 million and comparable expenses to restart operations.
  • State records show at least $405 million in vendor contracts tied to construction and operations, exposing Florida to substantial financial risk as the facility winds down.
  • Separate lawsuits allege detainee-rights violations including restricted access to counsel, and Florida is pursuing an alternative site at Baker Correctional Institution.