Miami-Dade County Moves to Lock Up Everglades Land Once Used by ICE Detention Center
A detention facility in the Florida Everglades that drew widespread criticism over its conditions — and was nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz' — is on track to be dismantled, following a June 25 announcement from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Now, Miami-Dade County leaders are aiming to turn the site into protected conservation land.
In a statement released June 25, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said her administration intends to “pursue the sale and transfer of all county-controlled lands at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT) to the National Park Service and other authorized Everglades restoration partners for permanent conservation.” The property, totaling roughly 17,000 acres, sits inside the Big Cypress National Preserve, according to the Naples Daily News.
“From the very beginning, I have raised serious concerns about the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility because people have been held there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process, while occupying land alongside one of the world's most precious natural ecosystems,” Levine Cava said.
The decision to push for conservation comes as Miami-Dade officials concluded that keeping the TNT airport operational “no longer represents the best longterm use of the property,” citing its remote location, high maintenance costs, limited aviation utility, and its incompatibility with the surrounding conservation lands.
“Once this facility is decommissioned, we have an opportunity to permanently protect these lands for Everglades restoration and ensure they remain protected for generations to come,” Levine Cava added.
The land transfer is not guaranteed, according to the Naples Daily News. During a June 25 press conference, DeSantis said the site was “fine the way it was,” signaling potential political friction ahead.
Rumors of the detention center’s closure first surfaced in May, CBS News Miami reported, citing four sources familiar with the plans. The facility, which had been open for less than a year — it launched on July 3, 2025 — was built using state tax dollars and cost roughly $1 million per day to operate, according to the New York Times.
Conditions at the center had been described as “inhumane,” with reports of torture and violations of detainees’ First Amendment rights. A January investigation by the Miami Herald found that the whereabouts of hundreds of detainees held there were impossible to determine, raising alarms among human rights advocates.
By mid-May, the facility still held about 1,400 detainees. CBS News reported that they were expected to be moved over the following weeks, with the last detainee leaving in June. After that, vendors were instructed to begin a roughly two-week process to “demobilize” the site, including removing fencing, trailers, and other structures.
DeSantis, speaking at a press conference in Lakeland on May 7, had previously stated that the facility was always intended to be temporary.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami-Dade County to 'protect' land used for ICE detention center