The immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz has already closed and was completely dismantled in the Everglades, Florida, but a question remains that could involve hundreds of millions of dollars: who will end up paying the bill?
The federal government granted Florida over 600 million dollars through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help fund the center's operations, but so far only a portion of that money has been disbursed, according to an investigation published by WPTV.
The approved grant amounted to 608.4 million dollars. Of that amount, just over 134 million dollars had been disbursed by the beginning of October, according to federal data cited by the television network.
The uncertainty grew after the release of two federal reports that questioned various aspects of the center's operations: one prepared by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security and the other by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The first report found deficiencies related to environmental health, safety, medical care, food, and hygiene. Some detainees stated that they did not have adequate access to potable water, and inspectors documented the use of small metal enclosures to confine migrants.
Those conditions had already been documented in September when overcrowding, limited space, and the use of small metal cages within the facility were revealed. Some detainees remained in those structures for hours, according to testimonies collected at that time.
The second report from the GAO focused on the costs and how Alligator Alcatraz began operations. The agency determined that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had not closed a contract or a formal agreement with Florida before the first detainees began to arrive.
The absence of previously negotiated rates allowed Florida to request reimbursements at a cost significantly higher than usual in federal immigration facilities.
The GAO determined that the authorized rate for Alligator Alcatraz was $249 per detainee per day, compared to a median of $92 per day in ICE facilities during fiscal year 2026, a difference of approximately 171%.
That information had already raised alarms about the cost of the center. A federal report revealed in early October that Alligator Alcatraz charged $249 per detainee per day, far above the median rate used by ICE.
However, neither of the two reports concludes that Florida has violated the conditions of the FEMA grant, an important distinction because there is currently no federal decision that definitively denies the remaining reimbursements.
Anthony Palermo, a law professor at Stetson University specializing in contracts, explained to WPTV that the findings could indeed serve as a basis for greater federal scrutiny, but they do not automatically mean that the funds will be withheld.
The grant requires Florida to provide a detailed breakdown of costs and justify each reimbursement request. FEMA also retains the authority to review expenditures, conduct audits, and question payments that it considers unjustified or excessive.
According to Palermo, even funds that have already been disbursed could later be subjected to audits or investigations, and under certain circumstances, the federal government might attempt to recover previously paid amounts.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has dismissed the criticisms found in federal reports and has maintained that reimbursements continue to arrive in the state.
The controversy over the cost of Alligator Alcatraz had begun long before its closure. In June, estimates indicated that the center could be costing up to 20 times more than other immigration detention facilities, although those comparisons used methodologies different from the rate later analyzed by the GAO.
Florida initially requested nearly $1.49 billion from FEMA to cover the costs of the center, more than double the $608.4 million that was ultimately approved, according to documents obtained by WPTV.
Alligator Alcatraz opened on July 1, 2025 at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, in the heart of the Everglades. During its months of operation, it housed approximately 1,500 detainees at the same time.
ICE confirmed on June 16, 2026, that all detainees had been removed in anticipation of the hurricane season. A month later, aerial images revealed that the facilities had been completely dismantled: the large tents, generators, lighting towers, and perimeter fence had disappeared.
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