Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ shuts down after nearly 1 year, DeSantis says

A federal immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by the Trump administration, is shutting down nearly one year after opening, officials announced Thursday.

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During a press conference on Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were zero detainees remaining at the facility and that the remote detention center was always meant to be temporary.

“Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role that it was designed to serve,” the Republican governor said, adding that 21,000 people were deported through the facility. He said he expects the center to be fully dismantled in about a week or two.

Detainees had already been moved to other facilities earlier this month after the facility was temporarily shut down due to hurricane threats.