A protester from Chicago shows his point of view with his sign in front of the entrance to Alligator Alcatraz located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport is seen on August 6, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the facility's closure. File Photo By Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo
June 26 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the closure of the embattled immigration detention center colloquially known as "Alligator Alcatraz," less than a year after it opened.
"Florida led the way in increasing much-needed detention capacity and working with our federal partners to streamline deportations, removing thousands of the most dangerous criminal aliens from our country," DeSantis said in a statement.
"Alligator Alcatraz has fulfilled this mission. Detainees who are still awaiting deportation have been transferred to other federal facilities, and demobilization efforts are underway."
During a press conference Thursday, DeSantis, a Republican and Trump ally, celebrated the facility as being integral to facilitating Trump's immigration policy, stating it supported nearly 21,000 deportations.
