“Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida Could Be Empty Within Days

Alligator Alcatraz will be emptied

Judge orders partial shutdown

Environmentalists win legal battle

According to EFE, the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” located in the Florida Everglades, could be without detainees in the coming days.

This was revealed in an email from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, leaked to the national press.

According to the message, sent last Friday, the center “will likely be without people in a few days,” confirming that the facility is not operating at full capacity.

The email, accessed by The New York Times, was sent to Rabbi Mario Rojzman, who had requested permission to visit detainees.

Judge Orders Dismantling of Everglades Facility

“Alligator Alcatraz” will be emptied within days, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said.

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The leak came just one day after federal judge Kathleen Williams issued a court order against the facility.

The judge set a two-month deadline to dismantle the center and prohibited the entry of new migrants.

The order establishes that the site will remain operational, but may not admit new detainees while the closure process is underway.

Williams ruled partially in favor of environmental groups demanding the immediate shutdown of the center due to damage to the Everglades.

Environmental Groups Celebrate Court Decision

“Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida Could Be Empty Within Days – PHOTO: EFE

The lawsuit was filed by Friends of The Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, together with the Miccosukee tribe.

The groups argued that the facility seriously harms an ecosystem with 36 threatened endemic species, including panthers, storks, alligators, and crocodiles.

The court order prohibits the construction of additional infrastructure inside the site, including dormitories, offices, or tents.

It also bans paving, excavation, fencing, or introducing additional people not already detained at the time of the order.

Florida Appeals Judge Williams’ Ruling

Alligator Alcatraz in Florida PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

In response, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office announced an appeal to overturn the decision.

Governor Ron DeSantis also defended the facility’s operation and insisted deportations would continue from the site.

“Alligator Alcatraz” opened on July 3 in a former abandoned airport in the middle of the Everglades wetlands.

The site was designed as a 2,000-bed center, surrounded by alligators, snakes, and panthers.

Alligator Alcatraz Florida With Low Occupancy

However, official figures on how many migrants have passed through the facility have been kept under wraps.

Guthrie’s email is the first confirmation that the center operates with far fewer people than expected.

The lack of transparency has raised doubts about the facility’s true use and its long-term viability.

Democratic congressman from Florida, Maxwell Frost, visited the center twice and denounced inconsistencies in the official reports.

Fewer Than 400 Migrants Currently Detained in Alligator Alcatraz

During his first visit last month, authorities told him there were around 1,000 detainees.

But on his most recent tour, the number was much lower, with only 336 people in custody.

“I found far fewer detainees than I had seen before,” Frost told local press.

The reduction in detainee numbers coincides with Judge Williams’ court order and pressure from environmental groups.