NewsNBC 6 South FloridaJune 25, 2026Miami-Dade County
Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Immigration Detention Center Closes
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the permanent closure of the temporary immigration detention facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades. The facility, which held detainees in tent structures, has been emptied and is currently undergoing demobilization.
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The closure ends the operation of a facility that processed 21,000 deportations and shifts the status of the Dade-Collier airfield, which the Miami-Dade mayor intends to sell to the National Park Service for environmental restoration.
Key Facts
- The 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport has officially closed.
- The facility currently has zero detainees remaining on-site.
- Governor DeSantis reported that 21,000 people were deported through the facility during its operation.
- Detainees were relocated to other federal facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas.
- The facility opened in July 2025 and operated for nearly one year.
- Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava intends to sell the airport land to the National Park Service for Everglades restoration.
- The facility was initially built in a matter of days using temporary tent structures.
- The site was previously subject to a temporary closure in June due to safety concerns regarding hurricane season.