Frank Nez 
Alligator Alcatraz is now making an unexpected closure according to an internal email following a federal judge’s order to close it.
On August 27, 2025, a leaked email from a top Florida official revealed that the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades is expected to have zero detainees within days, dealing a significant blow to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
The project itself cost taxpayers a whopping $245 million to build and operate, with projected annual costs going upwards of $450 million.
The Daily Beast reported that the email, sent by Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to South Florida Rabbi Mario Rojzman on August 22, 2025, stated, “We are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.”
This follows a federal judge’s order to halt operations at the facility, which has been criticized for inhumane conditions and environmental violations, prompting swift action to transfer detainees and raising questions about the future of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Rapid Decline in Detainee Numbers
The email, verified by Rojzman and an executive assistant to the Associated Press, comes less than a week after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a preliminary injunction on August 21, 2025, ordering no new detainees be sent to “Alligator Alcatraz” and requiring the relocation of existing detainees within 60 days.
The facility, built in just eight days at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, had a peak population of about 1,400 in July but has seen a sharp decline, with only 340 detainees remaining as of August 21, per The Guardian.
By late August, estimates suggest around 400 detainees were left, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who noted she lacked exact figures due to restricted access, per CNN.
The facility, a centerpiece of Trump’s immigration enforcement, was designed to hold up to 3,000 migrants, with plans to expand to 4,000.
However, allegations of inhumane conditions— including spoiled food, limited showers, and mosquito infestations—prompted lawsuits and public outcry, accelerating its closure, per NBC News.
Detainees like Cuban national Leamsy Isquierdo reported being fed one meal a day, often infested with worms, and enduring constant fluorescent lighting.
A former guard described the facility as an “oversized kennel.”
Legal and Environmental Challenges of Alligator Alcatraz
Judge Williams’ ruling stemmed from a lawsuit by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, who argued the facility violated federal environmental laws by threatening the Everglades’ sensitive wetlands, home to protected species like the Florida panther, per Forbes.
The judge ordered the removal of fencing, lighting, generators, and waste systems within 60 days, citing “myriad risks” to the ecosystem, including runoff and habitat loss.
The Miccosukee Tribe testified that the facility, located near their land, blocked access to traditional trails for hunting and plant harvesting.
Florida and the federal government have appealed the ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court, arguing the facility’s beds are critical due to overcrowding in other Florida detention centers, per CBS News.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the ruling an overstep, vowing to continue the “mission to detain, deport, and deliver,” per CNN.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who championed the facility, announced plans for a new detention center, “Deportation Depot,” in north Florida to hold 1,300 to 2,000 detainees, per Los Angeles Times.
Public and Political Reactions
Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who toured the facility and described detainees “packed into cages” amid sweltering heat, hailed the ruling as a “major victory for justice,” according to CNN.
Environmental groups like Friends of the Everglades celebrated the decision, with executive director Eve Samples calling it a “landmark victory.”
On X, users like @xray_media criticized the facility’s conditions, amplifying detainee accounts of “torturous” treatment.
MAGA supporters, however, defended the facility.
DeSantis’ communications director, Alex Lanfranconi, quipped, “The deportations will continue until morale improves.”
Posts on X from accounts like @WarClandestine praised the crackdown, arguing it prioritizes American safety.
Critics, including the ACLU, highlighted constitutional violations, alleging detainees were held without charges and denied legal access, per PBS.
The rapid depopulation of “Alligator Alcatraz,” which cost Florida over $245 million to build and operate, with projected annual costs of $450 million, without a doubt underscores the challenges facing Trump’s deportation goals.
With ICE detaining over 58,000 immigrants as of June 2025, a 40% increase from 2024, capacity issues persist.
The administration’s broader policies, including flag-burning deportation orders and D.C. crackdowns, face legal hurdles.
Economic pressures add to public discontent, with Trump’s approval rating at 39%, per Newsweek and CNN.
As the 2026 midterms loom, the closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” and plans for “Deportation Depot” signal ongoing battles over immigration enforcement, environmental protection, and human rights, shaping Trump’s second-term legacy.
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