Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" could close in June, sources say

Local News Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center to close as soon as June, sources say By Jim DeFede Jim DeFede Jim DeFede joined CBS4 News in January 2006 and serves as an investigative reporter for the station, as well as host of its Sunday morning public affairs program "Facing South Florida." Read Full Bio Jim DeFede Updated on: May 12, 2026 / 5:30 PM EDT / CBS Miami Add CBS News on Google Companies hired by the state to operate the Alligator Alcatraz detention center were notified Tuesday afternoon that the facility is being shut down, with the remaining 1,400 detainees expected to be removed in the coming weeks, four sources familiar with the announcement told CBS News Miami. The closure comes amid escalating operating costs for the facility, which are now estimated to total nearly $1 billion. "They said the last detainee will leave in June," one source explained.The decision to close the facility has been speculated about for the past week, with Gov. Ron DeSantis saying he expected it to close soon. "If we shut the lights out tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose," DeSantis said last week during a news conference.Tuesday's announcement to the vendors is the first formal acknowledgment that the facility was closing and would wind down relatively quickly. Officials from the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) delivered the news to the vendors at the site. Kevin Guthrie, the director of FDEM, did not return calls seeking comment.Once the approximately 1,400 people currently held at the facility are removed — either transferred to other detention centers or deported — state officials told vendors the process to "demobilize" the site will begin. This will involve taking down fencing, removing trailers and other structures built at the site, which is located in the middle of the Everglades. That demobilization is expected to take another two to three weeks. After demobilization is complete, the site wil...