Florida Judge Orders Alligator Alcatraz Shutdown Amid DeSantis Defiance

The Florida migrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz," established in 2025 in the Everglades as part of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement strategy and supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, faces a federal court-ordered shutdown due to environmental law violations and harm to the Everglades ecosystem. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered the facility closed within 60 days, prohibiting new detainees or construction and mandating dismantling of waste and power infrastructure. Despite the ruling, Governor DeSantis insists the facility continues to operate, with deportations ongoing and the state ready to accept new detainees, though the Department of Homeland Security has not sent new migrants since the order. DeSantis criticized the judge's ruling as partisan and reaffirmed that Florida will be reimbursed for the $245 million spent on the center, emphasizing the facility's role in increasing deportations and Florida's commitment to immigration enforcement. The facility, located on a former training airport near the Everglades, has drawn criticism for its environmental impact and conditions for detainees. President Trump and Florida officials initially unveiled the site to support large-scale deportation efforts, highlighting it as a low-cost, efficient solution to housing undocumented migrants.