OCHOPEE, Fla. (CBS12) — The site known as Alligator Alcatraz is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
New aerial footage provided by WPLG from the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades shows much of the temporary migrant detention facility has been dismantled, with no detainees remaining at the site. The images come just weeks after Florida officials announced the facility would be shut down following months of operation.
The detention center was rapidly built by the state on county-owned land to help increase detention space as immigration enforcement efforts ramped up. State leaders said the facility was intended as a temporary solution to assist federal authorities with processing and deporting migrants.
State officials said it used “light infrastructure,” including heavy-duty tents and trailers, rather than permanent buildings.
Now, the once-busy airstrip looks largely empty.
New aerial footage provided by WPLG from the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades shows much of the temporary migrant detention facility has been dismantled, with no detainees remaining at the site. The images come just weeks after Florida officials announced the facility would be shut down following months of operation. (CNN Newsource)
Gone are the white tents, industrial lighting, generators, fuel delivery equipment and the blue Alligator Alcatraz sign that became synonymous with the facility. The WPLG helicopter also appeared to capture crews removing fencing around the airstrip, which was previously used as a pilot training facility.
FILE – A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction halting further expansion of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” that advocates said violated environmental laws. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
When announcing the closure in late June, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the facility had served its purpose and that all detainees had either been transferred or deported. He said demobilization efforts were underway and that the site would likely be dismantled within a week or two. Officials credited the facility with helping support thousands of deportations during its operation.
See also: PROJECT TANGO: Developer plan revised for controversial A.I. data center ahead of vote
Even as the physical footprint shrinks, legal questions surrounding the project remain.
Environmental groups have sued in federal court, arguing that an environmental impact study should have been completed before construction began in the sensitive Everglades ecosystem. The government has argued that the National Environmental Policy Act did not apply because the facility was operated by the state rather than the federal government.
Environmental advocates continue to raise concerns about the project’s impact on the surrounding wetlands, including claims that at least 20 acres of new pavement were installed without environmental review.
The remote detention center drew national attention throughout its operation, becoming a flashpoint in debates over immigration enforcement, government detention capacity, and environmental protection in South Florida. As crews continue removing infrastructure from the site, the future of the property remains unclear.