Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday the Everglades immigration detention center has served its purpose, responding to reports that the temporary facility may close.
The New York Times reported Thursday morning that “Florida is in talks with the Trump administration” to shut down the facility dubbed by DeSantis’ administration as “Alligator Alcatraz,” adding that the talks are “preliminary but that “officials at the Department of Homeland Security have concluded that it is too expensive to keep operating the center.”
During a bill-signing ceremony imposing regulations on artificial intelligence data centers, the governor did not dispute the possible shutdown, instead reiterating that it is a stopgap meant to help the federal government house detainees it lacked room for.
“It was always designed to be a temporary facility. It has made a major impact and, if we shut the lights out on it tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose because it was responsible for helping with almost 22,000 illegal aliens, and that ultimately is what it’s all about,” DeSantis said.
If the federal government is able to independently handle the volume of people it deports, “that would be great for us to break that facility down,” the governor said. The state constructed the facility last year, garnered national headlines, and hosted President Donald Trump for a tour.
Who will foot the bill for the facility, comprising tents, mobile housing, and other infrastructure that must be shipped to the remote location, is not finalized.
Florida insists the federal government will reimburse the state hundreds of millions of dollars, although it has not yet.
DeSantis reiterated claims that aggressive deportations save tax dollars because those forced out of the country are no longer using government resources.
“And, by the way, all the expenses are reimbursable by the federal government. And that will happen. I know the media has made a big deal. It’s FEMA, it takes a while, we’re getting it. You’ll see that very shortly,” DeSantis said, adding that he talked to federal border czar Tom Homan about it “the other day.”
Now that Kristi Noem is no longer DHS secretary, DeSantis said, the new leader of the Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, will “take a fresh look at these things,” and that the “mission continues” in pursuing Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
“We are the No. 1 state by far in terms of agreements with DHS — 287(g) — and that facility was created because we were requested by DHS to assist them with bed space,” DeSantis said. “They didn’t have the place to put illegal aliens that had been apprehended.”
“If we didn’t have that facility, DHS did not have room to put them anywhere. They would have been released back to the public,” DeSantis said.
–Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
PaulT says
‘Just a stopgap’ because ICE desperately needed help? Really?
A $200 million stopgap which Ron paid for with state emergency management funds. at taxpayer expense, on no bid contracts, without planning or zoning or environmental impact studies, which the Feds have declines to refund.
Does anyone even believe these latest lies from Ron who’s motive was obvious.
He was determined to play the Cruella DeVil of immigration to gather white nationalist support for his next political ambitions, whatever they might be..
Bear Down says
Biden should have thought of this before he let all these MFers in our country to vote for Dems. I came here legally 36 years ago, thats probably why I vote Republican.
Deborah Coffey says
There is no more “Republican.” It’s all MAGA now, a Fascist, White Supremacist group that is trashing our once great country that allowed you in 36 years ago! And, MAGA will ship you out as fast as they can if you’re not an White “Christian.” Have you read Project 2025 from the Heritage Foundation? They’re following it to the letter and they are not fond of naturalized citizens….
Oh boy says
My word are you brainwashed, Bear. Deportations were higher under Biden than Trump and he did it without the pyrotechnics and dead American citizens. Newsflash, since you need some education…only citizens can vote. Period. There are no exceptions. It’s already the law of the land. I didn’t vote for Biden or Trump (never Trumper), and who I voted for is between me and my ballot, but lord have mercy I can read. Not sure you can. You only regurgitate OAN and Newsmax propaganda.
It has served its purpose. says
We needed it in the beginning of the second Trump admin to deport the masses Biden and that wine drunk border Czar Harris let in in the hopes that they would illegally as non citizens vote D. Trump’s border Czar, Tom Homan who actually works at his job can work without it.
Sherry says
@ it has. . . either post “credible evidence” to back up your ridiculous claims, or we will all know that you have nothing to say except hate filled Maga BS. Thanks!
Laurel says
It: What happened to Homan’s paper bag of $50K cash?
Oh boy says
How does MAGA kool-aid taste? Bitter? Salty? Deplorable? Full of lies? It was never needed. Biden deported more people than Trump. Facts. Trump is the one pardoning criminals left and right and bringing in a bunch of white South Africans to speed track their citizenship so they have the right to vote in the midterms. Also, fact. Leaving a cult is hard. Admitting you’re in one is harder. Pretending you’re not a racist, xenophobic, hate monger comes through in your words. You posted lies, which is typical of MAGA. No facts because I seriously wonder if you people can comprehend anything or you just read memes all day.
Jim says
As of March 2026, Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Everglades detention facility has cost taxpayers nearly $1.5 billion in total projected, with roughly $390 million spent in its first four months of operation alone, according to documents obtained by Gulf Coast News. The state is currently in a dispute with federal authorities over reimbursement, leaving taxpayers on the hook for a project that has cost over $1 million per day
From Politco: “As of early May 2026, nearly 22,000 undocumented immigrants have been processed and deported through the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility located at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Florida Everglades. The temporary facility has been operational since summer 2025.”
That calculates to $68,181 per person processed. As of 2024–2025, the median household income in Florida is approximately $74,568 to $75,630. This translates to an effective equality of just paying any random 22,000 households in Florida rather than spend it on Alligator Alcatraz. Just imagine what this money could have been used on. Things like teacher’s pay, support of public schools, infrastructure and so many other things that our government blithely says “we just don’t have the money”.
I want to thank DeSantis and the Florida legislature for being such great stewards of our tax dollars. I thank the good Lord that the Republicans are running this state and managing the monies we taxpayers pay out constantly on such noble and sound projects.
And I am quite sure the federal government is not going to reimburse Florida.
Michael J Cocchiola says
I am so damned weary of DeSantis’s fiscal, social, medical, legal, and educational abuses. And expect it”ll continue to the last day, the last hour and the last second of his cruel administration.
Skibum says
The whole reason for the rush by despicable DeSantis to build Alligator Alcatraz in the middle of the Everglades swamp was the “promise” by the feds to pay the state for having it put into operation to hold ICE detainees. Then, after all the work to construct the place and install the cages inside to hold all of the people like they were animals, the feds balked at paying the construction costs and only agreed to to pay some of the operation costs, which now even those reimbursements are in question from the lying, corrupt, convicted criminal run administration.
Don’t be fooled! The idiot govie knows full well that this state’s taxpayers have already been soaked to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars for this scam operation, and is trying to cut his losses and is making revisionist, nonsensical justifications why Alligator Alcatraz is going to be closed down without pissing off his orange faced clown in the WH who just may give DeSantis a federal job if he licks the asswipes’ shoes and buries his nose up the convicted felon prez’ butt far enough when his time as governor is up.
And, as usual, the only ones on the losing end of all of these republi-con schemes is us, the taxpayers!
Deborah Coffey says
Other losers…all the innocent people locked up in Alligator Alcatraz.
Skibum says
Yes, thank you for correcting my oversight. We should never forget all of the undue suffering and unconstitutional, illegal kidnapping of those individuals who were in the U.S. legally as well as the numerous documented instances of actual American citizens who were unlawfully arrested and sent to ICE detention facilities. These illegal actions by masked ICE morons who weren’t even intelligent or competent enough to follow longstanding and proper immigration enforcement policies and procedures will forever stain and diminish that agency’s reputation.
Laurel says
Oh my God, what a crock of bull crap! Is that the song and dance they gave us up front? Why bother to name it anything, not to mention “Alligator Alcatraz”? We’ll get the money after we get the money from Mexico to build a wall.
“It has served its purpose.” Translation: It’s a failure.
The party of fiscal responsibility.
Look, I know maga is perfectly okay with the lies, but at some point, you’d think they would get embarrassed.
Koyote says
@Laurel :
You said : “Look, I know maga is perfectly okay with the lies, but at some point, you’d think they would get embarrassed.”
Well, yeah, but the problem is that the point at which they were embarrassed was 2014 :(
Laurel says
Koyote: Illogical.
Sherry says
@ laurel. . . I’m thinking embarrassment requires a good moral compass.
Laurel says
Gee, just a plain good compass would help!
JimboXYZ says
What are the actual numbers on those processed & deported from the facility ? CONUS Nationwide ?
Dennis C Rathsam says
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