The state of Florida is reportedly in conversation with the Trump administration to close down U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center “Alligator Alcatraz,” according to a report from The New York Times (The Times).
Talks between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the state began after the agency deemed the migrant detention center too expensive to continue operating.
The Cost of Operating
“Alligator Alcatraz,” which opened in July 2025, has reportedly cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars, The Times reported, citing current and former officials in the state government, ICE, and the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R).
A federal official also informed The Times that DHS officials have evaluated the center as ineffective, juxtaposing Gov. DeSantis’ repeated expressions of support over the facility’s success.
The facility, located in the heart of the Florida Everglades, has reportedly cost the DeSantis administration more than $1 million a day to operate.
A person familiar with the state’s administration also revealed that some private vendors contracted to run the center have struggled to front costs, despite the hefty bill.
Florida Has Yet To Be Reimbursed
Despite claims by DHS and Gov. DeSantis that the federal government had reimbursed the state of Florida for operating it, the state reportedly has yet to receive the $608 million reimbursement for the facility’s operational costs.
“The State constructed and operated the facility, and the federal government had no say in whether or how the State proceeded. The State took the risk (and still does) that federal funding will not materialize,” a Feb. 24, 2026 filing on behalf of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says.
AG Uthmeier is reportedly credited as the architect behind the idea for the South Florida detention facility.
Previous Ruling Authorizing "Alligator Alcatraz's" Operation
In late Apr. 2026, a majority of the three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state-run institution would remain open after a U.S. District Judge issued a preliminary injunction in August of 2025.
What seemed like a failure for several immigration lawyers, activist groups, and detainees now appears to be a win for those fighting against the holistic treatment of immigration throughout the Second Trump Administration.
“Alligator Alcatraz” is the U.S.’s first state-run immigration detention facility as part of a supportive effort towards the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
