Story perspectives

DeSantis Closes ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Center; Miami Transfers Airfield for Restoration

6/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the airfield will be transferred to the National Park Service for Everglades restoration.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in the Everglades is closed, was temporary, and deported 21,000 people before permanent facilities were secured.
Immigration advocates reported worms in food, non-flushing toilets, flooded floors and limited lawyer access at the closed center.

History

Historical Context

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, signed by President Ronald Reagan, granted legal status to about 2.7 million undocumented workers but did not stop overall migration, a pattern that later shaped mixed-enforcement policies. By 2024 Governor Ron DeSantis and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava ordered the Alligator Alcatraz shutdown, while ICE faced criticism, prompting the National Park Service to acquire the site for Everglades restoration.

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Story summary

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the airfield will be transferred to the National Park Service for Everglades restoration.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in the Everglades is closed, was temporary, and deported 21,000 people before permanent facilities were secured.
Immigration advocates reported worms in food, non-flushing toilets, flooded floors and limited lawyer access at the closed center.

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