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The companies hired to operate the migrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" received the order on Monday to begin the "total demobilization" of the facility, marking a definitive end to what was presented as a $1.2 billion experiment in immigration policy, according to four sources cited by CBS News Miami.
Kevin Guthrie, Florida's Emergency Management Director, announced the decision during a morning conference call with center providers. According to one source, Guthrie anticipated "significant progress by Wednesday" in dismantling the site, located in the heart of the Florida Everglades.
"All suppliers received the notice," explained one of the sources to CBS News Miami.
The closure marks the end of a facility that Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump had praised as a replicable model for other states when it was inaugurated on July 3, 2025 at the former Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee.
The last detainees left the facility in the week of June 16, transferred to other centers or deported to third countries. Federal and state authorities justified the emptying for precautionary reasons in light of the start of hurricane season, and even suggested that the facility would be ready to receive new detainees.
However, according to sources familiar with the plan, the intention to proceed with complete demobilization—removing fences, trailers, and other structures—had existed prior to this.
The main reason for the closure was the soaring operational costs. The total expenditure exceeds $1.2 billion, with an estimated daily cost of $1.2 million. Florida requested a federal reimbursement of $608 million at the end of 2025, which was initially approved, but the disbursement was blocked due to legal challenges and environmental concerns. Only a partial first payment of $58 million was received on June 1, 2026.
By activating the "demobilization" clauses included in the contracts with suppliers, the state will also have to pay additional fees that could amount to tens of millions of dollars. For many of the companies involved, the news was welcome, as several have accumulated millions in pending payments.
The dismantling is estimated to take about a week. Once completed, the site is intended to reopen as a small pilot training airport.
DeSantis had anticipated the closure in public statements over the last few weeks. "If we turn off the lights tomorrow, we can say it served its purpose," the governor stated during a press conference in early June. According to his own figures, around 22,000 people went through the facility during its operation.
However, nearly 60% of those detained were classified by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as individuals with no prior criminal convictions, contradicting the original justification presented for the project.
Since its opening, the center has accumulated systematic reports of inhumane conditions. Amnesty International documented in December 2025 overcrowding of between 27 and 32 people per cage, overflowing toilets, non-potable water, constant lighting, and delays of up to 72 hours to receive medical attention. The organization also described a punishment area where detainees were confined, chained by their feet and hands outdoors.
The Cuban community was particularly affected. According to a report from Human Rights Watch from May 2026, between January 2025 and March 2026, 4,353 Cubans were deported to Mexico, the largest national group among those deported to that country, many of whom were elderly with decades of residency in the United States.
"I believe that, when all is said and done, it will be seen as a dark chapter in the history of the Everglades," warned Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.
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