Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Could Shut Down by June

The Florida detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” which holds undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation, may close as early as June, according to CBS News sources. State officials are in talks with federal authorities about shuttering the controversial center, which has housed thousands of detainees. The remaining 1,400 people held there are expected to be moved out over the next few weeks. “They say the last inmate will leave the facility in June,” one source told CBS. The unofficial nickname “Alligator Alcatraz” draws a comparison to the infamous San Francisco prison. This development comes after a 2024 order from former President Donald Trump to reopen Alcatraz Island for what he called “ruthless and vicious criminals.” But sources told Axios that Trump has not yet made a final decision on the island’s future. For now, Florida’s center appears to be the one facing closure, with operations winding down and detainees being relocated.