Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Detention Center Is Closing

There was a groundswell that publicity over the multiplying reports of “inhumane” treatment of undocumented detainees, including physical abuse and isolation from legal representation, was becoming untenable.

Built in just days during the summer of 2025, the facility was designed to house up to 3,000 immigration detainees awaiting deportation while taking advantage of its isolated location, surrounded by wetlands populated by alligators and pythons.

The facility has faced criticism for unsafe and inhumane conditions, including worms in food and toilets that did not flush