Florida's immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" may soon close following a federal court order, leaving the state facing steep financial losses estimated to be around $218 million, according to estimates made by The Associated Press.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams last week ordered operations at the Everglades facility to wind down indefinitely, citing the lack of an environmental review for the site located in sensitive wetlands. On Wednesday she denied requests to pause her order and then on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it was complying with the order and relocating detainees.
Governor Ron DeSantis acknowledged the transfers and all but confirmed the potential closure, attributing the development to the rapid pace of DHS deportations rather than the court ruling. "We don't determine who goes into the facility," DeSantis said. "Who they send in or don't send in is on their decision."
Built on a remote airstrip in just over a week, the center mostly consists of chain-link cages and large tents holding bunk beds. Florida invested at least $218 million converting the site, with the aforementioned Associated Press analysis showing more than $405 million in vendor contracts signed to build and operate it. Based on publicly available contract data, AP estimated the state allocated $50 million for the bathrooms alone.
"Shutting down the facility for the time being would cost the state $15 million to $20 million immediately, and it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if Florida is allowed to reopen it, according to court filings by the state," reads the AP article.
Conditions inside the center, however, have drawn scrutiny since it opened July 1. A month-long ABC News investigation published in mid-August detailed accounts from detainees and attorneys who described confinement in flooded tents, extreme temperatures, and limited access to medical care and legal counsel. DHS disputed the allegations, saying the facility met federal standards and denying reports of flooding mentioned in the article.
Civil rights groups have filed multiple lawsuits alleging inhumane conditions and denial of access to the legal system. Nearly two dozen Republican-led states have urged an appeals court to overturn Judge Williams' ruling, arguing federal environmental laws do not apply to Florida.
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