Alligator Alcatraz
Immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades
The South Florida Detention Facility, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz', is a non-operational immigration detention facility located at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida, United States. The Florida Division of Emergency Management ran the first state-run facility to solely detain noncitizens from July 2025 to June 2026 at an estimated cost of US$1.2 billion.
DeSantis Closes 'Alligator Alcatraz' Jail
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis permanently shuts the 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center, citing its $1.2m daily cost.