‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention center was meant to be temporary: DeSantis

OCHOPEE, Florida — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” was always meant to be temporary.

His comments came the same day that The New York Times reported that state and federal officials were in preliminary talks about closing the facility in the Florida Everglades that DeSantis said has processed and deported 22,000 inmates since it opened last summer.

“At some point, of course, we will break it. That’s always been the goal,” the Republican governor said at a news conference in Lakeland.

If the Department of Homeland Security determines it has the resources to house detainees elsewhere, the facility will cease operations, DeSantis said.

DHS officials have not said they want the facility closed, although the idea has been discussed since the department named a new secretary, Markwayne Mullin, in late March, and “you take a new look at these things,” the governor added.

Detainees at the facility described poor physical conditions and difficulty accessing a lawyer.

DHS denied Thursday that it had urged Florida to cease operations at the facility.

“Florida continues to be a valuable partner in advancing President Trump’s immigration agenda, and DHS appreciates their support,” the department said in a statement. “DHS continually evaluates detention needs and requirements to ensure they meet the latest operational requirements. »

Florida spent more than $1 million a day to operate the facility, and DeSantis said he was waiting for reimbursement from the federal government. The state has not yet received the requested $608 million.

Detainees are separated based on their criminal histories and whether they are considered a flight risk, according to a manual released as part of a lawsuit over whether detainees have appropriate access to lawyers. It says that during regular counts, detainees are not allowed to move or speak. If they do, they can be punished, like everyone else in their dorm, by being locked in their accommodation.