U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has removed all detainees from a mass detention facility in the Everglades dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, just as a coalition of environmental groups prepares to return to federal court to demand the permanent closure and environmental restoration of the site.
On Tuesday, ICE announced that all detainees at the state-run facility had been relocated, though the agency did not specify the number of individuals moved or where they were taken.
In a statement explaining the transfer, the agency said: “As we enter into hurricane season, ICE and the state of Florida have moved illegal aliens from the soft-sided facility. For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities.”
Prior to the relocation, the facility faced scrutiny as detainees alleged that guards denied them food and clean water until they signed documents written in English. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis indicated that future operations at the site remain an option.
According to the plaintiffs—Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity—the facility remains an active threat despite the removal of detainees. The groups report that heavy equipment and high-intensity lighting continue to operate, and hazardous materials are still being moved on and off the property within the Big Cypress National Preserve.
The conservation groups, joined by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, originally sued the Trump and DeSantis administrations in June 2025. The lawsuit alleges that the facility was built hastily without the mandatory federal environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The plaintiffs are returning to trial court this month to pursue full remediation of the site.
“‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will go down as one of the biggest failures in American history,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades. “Our government failed to protect the Everglades and failed to follow basic environmental laws — while racking up a $1 billion tab paid by taxpayers. We sued to stop the harm, our case continues, and we will not let up until this makeshift prison permanently closes and all the damage is undone.”
The legal battle has grown over the past year to include multiple statutory claims. In October 2025, Friends of the Everglades sued the state of Florida for public records regarding the facility’s funding and control, securing a court order for their disclosure in January 2026. In May 2026, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a separate lawsuit against the state, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act.
“The transfer of detained people out of this dystopian hellhole is a significant milestone, but it’s not enough,” said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ll keep fighting until panthers can return to the embrace of their native home and bonneted bats can reclaim the star-spangled skies.”
The facility sits on land that has historical significance to environmental law. In the 1960s, the same location was the focal point of a national battle over a proposed commercial jetport. Activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas founded Friends of the Everglades to oppose that development. The success of that campaign restricted the land’s use to a small pilot training facility for decades and served as a primary catalyst for the creation of NEPA in 1970.
Legal representatives for the plaintiffs stated that the removal of detainees does not address the ongoing environmental impacts of the infrastructure.
“It is great that detainees have been removed from this devastating facility. But the risks to people and the environment remain,” said Tania Galloni, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Florida regional office. “Now we must make sure nothing like this happens again.”
Paul J. Schwiep of Coffey Burlington, serving as counsel for the environmental groups, stated that the litigation will continue until the site is fully restored.
“This facility was conceived behind closed doors, constructed without any public input, operated in secret, and now is, apparently, being mothballed without any explanation of how the site will be remediated or any commitment that it will be permanently closed,” Schwiep said. “The government may hope to slink away from this debacle, but fundamental federal and state laws enacted to protect the environment have been ignored and we remain committed to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable and that the site is fully remediated to prevent this episode from reoccurring.”
READ: Fake Gaza Charity, Real Terror Funding: California Man Arrested In $600K Hamas Scheme
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
