'Alligator Alcatraz' site given back to Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - The state of Florida has returned control of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport – the make-shift detention facility established in the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz' – to Miami-Dade County, following the closure of the detention facility operation.

Both state and county leaders conducted inspections of the facility earlier this week before it was turned over to the county.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she wants to preserve the facility. 

What they're saying:

"The return of this property to Miami-Dade County marks an important turning point. From the beginning, I have been clear that this detention facility should never have been built, and now we have an opportunity to shape a better future for these lands," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.

"Our immediate responsibility is to fully understand and address the impacts left behind. At the same time, we are moving forward with our goal of permanently protecting this land and restoring it as part of the greater Everglades ecosystem. We will work with our federal, state, Tribal, and environmental partners to chart the right path forward and ensure these lands are protected for generations to come." 

State letter: 'Our mission at the property is complete"

Inspections were conducted on Tuesday, Aug. 11. 

"I appreciate your support of statewide emergency operations and your commitment to our shared mission to safeguard the people of Florida," said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management in a letter to Mayor Cava.

Gov. DeSantis: 30,000 people deported from Alligator Alcatraz

The other side:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a June news release that nearly 30,000 people were processed and deported from the facility. 

"Florida led the way in increasing much-needed detention capacity and working with our federal partners to streamline deportations, removing thousands of the most dangerous criminal aliens from our country," DeSantis said in a statement.

"Alligator Alcatraz has fulfilled this mission. Detainees who are still awaiting deportation have been transferred to other federal facilities, and demobilization efforts are underway. Along with our partners in the Trump Administration, we will continue the mission to make our communities safer by deporting illegal aliens and ensuring that our nation’s immigration laws are enforced."

The backstory:

The facility was opened in eight days and began accepting detained people in June 2025. The facility was closed in June 2026.

Leaders cheered the facility as a successful partnership between local, state, and federal authorities amid a crackdown on immigration enforcement across the country.

Various lawsuits were filed against the facility citing civil and environmental concerns.

New lawsuit filed against Alligator Alicatraz

A new lawsuit was recently filed by conservation groups alleging "state and federal officials withheld crucial information from a federal appeals court proving that Florida applied for federal funding for the detention center and that the project should have undergone federal environmental reviews," and violated the Endangered Species Act.

What's the future of the facility?

What's next:

Miami-Dade County said in a news release that it was considering potentially selling or transferring portions of the property "for permanent conservation and ecological restoration."

The County said it was reviewing ownership interests in the property, aviation requirements, environmental considerations, and any potential legal or financial impacts. It then plans to present recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.

Florida News