Current status of alligator alcatraz

1. What Alligator Alcatraz is and where it sits in Florida’s detention network

Alligator Alcatraz — officially called the Big Cypress Detention and Processing Center — was erected rapidly on a former Dade County training runway in Ochopee on the edge of the Everglades and was presented as a state alternative to federal ICE facilities, with signs and state officials publicly embracing the “Alligator Alcatraz” name ^{[1] [2]}. State authorities have described it as a first‑of‑its‑kind, state‑run center capable of holding up to about 3,000 people, and Governor Ron DeSantis has used the site as part of a broader push to expand Florida’s network of migrant detention centers ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Current operational status: open, active, and processing thousands

Reporting and public records indicate the facility remains open and in active use through early 2026; NBC‑Miami analyzed ICE data showing more than 6,700 people had been housed at the Everglades site since it opened, and statewide officials have described large numbers detained under the state’s effort to partner with federal enforcement ^{[3] [7]}. Individual court filings show at least some detainees have been removed and have sought dismissal of related litigation after agreeing to depart the U.S., underscoring ongoing transfers out of the facility ^{[8] [9]}.

3. Conflicting official claims and investigative corrections

Investigative records obtained by NBC‑Miami contradict certain state assertions: Gov. DeSantis’s July 2025 claim that everyone held at the site had final orders of deportation was false, with ICE data showing just 31% had final orders at the time of his statement ^[3]. That discrepancy is a central point in reporting that the state’s public narrative and the operational reality diverge, and it has fed legal and political scrutiny ^[3].

4. Human‑rights allegations and conditions reported inside

Human‑rights organizations and journalists allege serious mistreatment and poor conditions. Amnesty International has documented what it calls routine use of shackles and confinement in a “box” described as a 2x2‑foot cage‑like structure and has concluded the camp’s practices “constitutes torture” in a December 2025 report, while local reporting and advocacy groups cite claims of unsanitary conditions, constant lights, overcrowding and limited access to showers ^{[10] [1]}. Protests, vigils and online petitions demanding closure have continued amid those allegations ^{[1] [6]}.

5. Legal fights, environmental suits and transparency disputes

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have sued to close the center, arguing violations of federal environmental laws and asserting that federal and state officials withheld evidence about DHS reimbursement and other funding ties — claims that have prompted judicial orders for records and a mixed litigation record, including a judge ordering the state to turn over documents and other court actions paused or complicated by federal procedural moves ^{[4] [5] [11] [12]}. Separately, a Leon County judge rejected a bid by Democratic lawmakers to force access to the site, finding prison‑access laws cited by plaintiffs did not apply to the facility, a decision that highlights the contested legal status of oversight ^[13].

6. What happens next: plausible trajectories and unknowns

Near‑term outcomes hinge on litigation over environmental compliance and transparency as well as federal‑state interactions over funding; a recent court order to produce records and active environmental suits could produce operational constraints or policy changes, but reporting shows the facility remained open while legal processes continued and federal procedural pauses have also affected litigation timetables ^{[5] [12] [11]}. Public pressure from human‑rights groups and ongoing investigative reporting that undermines official claims add political risk to the facility’s future, but the available reporting does not yet provide a definitive end date or unilateral path to closure ^{[3] [6]}.