Florida Closes Alligator Alcatraz Migrant Jail

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday the permanent closure of the remote immigration detention facility deep in the Everglades that critics had nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz.

The center was constructed in less than 10 days on the site of an old airport after DeSantis offered to assist the Trump administration with bed space for migrants slated for deportation.

The facility had drawn sustained condemnation from human rights advocates for harsh conditions and denying detainees meaningful due process.

DeSantis said the site had ‘fulfilled its mission,’ though the closure comes amid broader scrutiny of the costs and legality of the operation.