A federal judge’s order to wind down Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center is moving ahead, with the site expected to be empty of detainees within days and fully vacated within the court’s 60-day timeline ending in late October 2025. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams denied requests from both the Trump administration and state officials to pause her earlier ruling, noting the facility’s temporary design and the lack of new information to justify a stay. Florida has appealed, but the appeals court has not yet ruled, and the closure continues in the meantime.
Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told state partners this week that the sprawling site would have “0 individuals within a few days,” confirming the final stage of the wind-down. Officials say the population had already fallen sharply: a site that once held nearly 1,000 detainees was down to roughly 300–350 as of last week, with at least 100 people deported since the judge’s order and others transferred to different centers.
The clash over who controls the facility has sharpened in recent filings. Governor Ron DeSantis has pointed to increased deportations by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the main reason for the decline in detainees. Federal attorneys counter that Florida makes the detention decisions at Alligator Alcatraz because the site is state-funded and operates under state emergency authority, not DHS contracts. The judge underscored that the center was always meant to be temporary, a factor that weighed against a stay.
Built at speed in June 2025 at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, the facility—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” by locals—was designed to hold up to 3,000 people as part of President Trump’s mass deportation push. The projected cost was about $400 million.
Three separate lawsuits followed, challenging new transfers into the site and describing overcrowding, lack of due process, and abusive conditions. One suit successfully halted additional transfers. Local faith leaders in the South Florida Interfaith Community pressed for access to provide services and monitor conditions.
Current status and immediate effects
As the countdown continues, remaining detainees are either being deported or moved to other locations. No new detainees are being accepted at Alligator Alcatraz during the wind-down. Advocacy groups and members of Congress have maintained pressure for transparency and continued monitoring, especially during transfers, when people can lose contact with their families and lawyers.
Key details now in motion include:
– The facility must be vacated within 60 days, with the last detainee out by late October 2025.
– State officials report the population will drop to “0 individuals within a few days.”
– Detainees have been either deported or transferred; at least 100 deportations have occurred since the order.
– New transfers into the site were halted by earlier litigation.
The final stage is underway: a rapid reduction in population paired with halted admissions and ongoing transfers or removals.
Replacement plan: “Deportation Depot”
Florida has turned to a replacement strategy. Governor DeSantis announced a new detention hub, the “Deportation Depot,” at the former Baker Correctional Institution, intended to hold between 1,300–2,000 people. The Florida National Guard is expected to run the site.
Goals and rationale cited by state officials:
– Offset the closure of Alligator Alcatraz and keep state-led detention capacity online.
– Provide controlled space with clearer lines of authority.
– Keep detainees closer to court locations and transport routes.
Local concerns include public safety, transparency, and operational details for National Guard-run sites. Community leaders seek clear communication and input before the new facility ramps up.
Policy context and national picture
The national policy environment helps explain why Alligator Alcatraz became a flashpoint. In 2025, the Trump administration:
– Increased mandatory detention for a broad range of offenses under the Laken Riley Act.
– Widened expedited removal and curtailed parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for many nationalities.
– Narrowed oversight bodies while doubling detention funding, targeting more than 100,000 detention beds nationally.
Those federal moves, combined with state-level initiatives, increased the number of people held in custody across the United States.
State-level enforcement in Florida:
– Analysis by VisaVerge.com indicates more than 76% of local law enforcement agencies in Florida have signed 287(g) agreements—partnerships allowing certain local officers to perform federal immigration duties after training.
– Florida created a State Immigration Enforcement Council and a Local Law Enforcement Immigration Grant Program to fund coordination and detention space.
Human impact and oversight concerns
Human rights organizations argue the rapid build-out created serious risks. Plaintiffs in the Florida lawsuits cited:
– Overcrowding
– Barriers to due process
– Reports of abusive conditions
Advocates stressed that the temporary build, remote location, and rapid ramp-up made it difficult to ensure safety, medical care, and access to attorneys. The South Florida Interfaith Community pressed for faith services and independent monitoring, echoing calls from groups such as Human Rights Watch and the ACLU for outside oversight.
State officials counter that detention capacity is necessary to manage people arrested under state and federal enforcement actions. They argue that DHS removals show the system is functioning as intended and that future operations will migrate to more established infrastructure like the “Deportation Depot.”
Legal process and practical consequences
The appeals process could affect future use of the Ochopee site, but for now the closure is proceeding. The judge rejected a stay, noting defendants did not present new facts and emphasizing the site’s temporary nature. Florida’s appeal is pending but does not pause the wind-down.
Practical consequences for detainees and families:
– Transfers increase the risk that people will lose contact with lawyers or miss filing deadlines.
– Lawyers recommend families gather A-numbers, keep copies of charging documents, and stay alert for hearing-location notices after transfers.
– Community groups urge maintaining close contact with legal representatives and clergy access at receiving facilities.
Legal advocates call for:
– Clear audits of what occurred inside Alligator Alcatraz.
– Guarantees that transferred detainees retain access to counsel.
– Accessible complaint systems at receiving facilities.
State officials maintain that the quick build addressed an urgent need and that future operations will use more established venues.
Federal standards and resources
For general information on federal detention management—facility standards, medical protocols, and inspections—ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations maintains an official resource center. Readers can review federal detention standards and related policies on the agency’s ICE detention management page: https://www.ice.gov/detention-management.
Although Alligator Alcatraz was state-directed, these federal materials help frame the national system that many transferred detainees will enter.
Broader implications
The case raises questions about the limits of emergency powers when building large, temporary detention centers quickly and remotely. The court’s finding that the Ochopee site was always temporary—and the judge’s refusal to halt the wind-down—could constrain how long similar emergency-built centers operate without fuller rulemaking, contracting, and oversight.
The next legal milestone is the pending appeal of Judge Williams’ order. A reversal could reopen the site for future use, but any decision would likely arrive after the center is already empty.
For now, the facts on the ground are clear: Alligator Alcatraz is being vacated, Florida is pivoting to other sites, and courts, advocates, and local communities are watching closely as detainees are deported or transferred and as oversight and access concerns continue to surface.
