Florida Opens DHS-Approved 'Alligator Alcatraz' Migrant Detention Center in Everglades Holding 1,000 Detainees

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has proposed and opened a new immigration detention facility called "Alligator Alcatraz" located in the Everglades. The facility, situated at an abandoned airport deep within the Everglades, is designed to hold up to 1,000 migrants, primarily individuals who entered the United States illegally. The detention center is surrounded by natural predators such as alligators and pythons, which Uthmeier noted as a deterrent for escape. The U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved the plan and will help fund the project as part of a broader initiative to expedite mass deportations under the Trump administration's policies. "Alligator Alcatraz" began operations in early July 2025, receiving its first group of detainees on July 2. The facility is intended to house, process, and deport migrants, with plans for a subsequent site at Camp Blanding to open later in the month.