WASHINGTON, United States: The controversial migrant detention centre in Florida’s Everglades swamp known as Alligator Alcatraz will be closed, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
“Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role that it was designed to serve,” he said, adding that there are no longer any detainees there.
“It has helped remove many, many dangerous people from the street and get them out of not only the state of Florida, but the United States of America.”
The facility was always intended as a temporary solution, DeSantis said.
The US government justified the choice of location by arguing that the alligator-populated swamps would deter prisoners from escaping.
The site was used to house thousands of migrants awaiting deportation.
US President Donald Trump personally opened the new facility in mid-2025.
The name Alligator Alcatraz used by the US government is a nod to the notorious Alcatraz prison off the coast of San Francisco. – BERNAMA-dpa
