Alligator Alcatraz Evacuation
ICE moves detainees from 'Alligator Alcatraz' as Gulf storm threatens vulnerable facility.
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Key Points
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The National Hurricane Center designated the Gulf system as “Potential Tropical Cyclone One,” warning of “heavy rain, flash flooding and possible storm surge along the Gulf Coast,” as ICE conducted the transfers.
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NOAA’s May seasonal outlook projected a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season, but cautioned that “warmer-than-average ocean temperatures could still fuel significant storms,” underscoring uncertainty about severity despite a generally quieter forecast.
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In April, a federal appellate court ruling kept Alligator Alcatraz open by blocking a lower court’s order to wind down operations; the Eleventh Circuit majority found the Florida-operated facility was not subject to federal oversight and therefore did not need to comply with the cited federal environmental requirements.
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Amnesty International’s abuse allegations include claims that detainees were “shackled inside a 2ft-high metal cage” and left outdoors without water for extended periods, including one detainee’s account that guards “threw them to the ground” and punished them in the “box” after seeking medication.
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The detention site had been defended with hardline deterrence messaging: during a visit last summer, President Trump said, “We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison,” and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned people who don’t “self-deport” “may end up here.”
ICE emptied Florida's notorious 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center on June 16, relocating roughly 1,400 detainees from the remote Everglades site as the Gulf's first tropical threat of 2026 closed in. The National Hurricane Center had just designated the system 'Potential Tropical Cyclone One,' warning of 'heavy rain, flash flooding and possible storm surge along the Gulf Coast,' according to Newsmax.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the move, saying the department would use emergency plans to 'pull the individuals out' when nature demands. He added that the government has 'no near-term plans' to permanently close the site, according to Florida Voice News.
Storm Forces Rapid Evacuation of 1,400 Detainees
Bus convoys were spotted leaving the Everglades site on the morning of June 16, according to The Floridian Press. ICE did not say how many detainees remained after the transfers or where they were sent. Experts suggest detainees are likely spread across facilities in Georgia and Alabama or triple-bunked at Miami's Krome North Service Center.
The soft-sided, tent-based facility sits in a low-lying basin that NHC projections put at risk of 2 to 4 feet of storm surge. That level of flooding would submerge the structure's foundations entirely. By June 17, the facility was confirmed empty of detainees, with only minimal security staff remaining on-site, according to KTSA.
Facility Built for Speed, Not Storms
'Alligator Alcatraz' opened in mid-2025 as a rapid-expansion detention site. Its isolated Everglades location was chosen to deter escapes and signal toughness. During a summer 2025 visit, President Trump said, 'We're going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison.' Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that those who don't 'self-deport' 'may end up here.'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has repeatedly called the facility temporary, lasting 'months to a year.' The state is being reimbursed more than $600 million for operational costs, according to iHeart Radio WRAK. With emergency evacuation costs now added, analysts say the total price tag could approach $1 billion by year's end.
Courts Kept Facility Open Despite Federal Objections
A lower court had ordered the site shut down, citing violations of federal environmental law. But on April 14, 2026, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that order. The appellate majority ruled that because Florida — not the federal government — operated the land and structures under contract, the site was a state-directed project not subject to federal environmental requirements, according to The Floridian Press.
That ruling created a legal shield that kept the facility running through spring 2026. It also muddied responsibility: DHS directed policy, but the state held operational control. DeSantis described Florida as a 'temporary landlord' being 'fully made whole' by federal funds, according to Florida Voice News.
Abuse Allegations Cast Shadow Over Emergency Move
Amnesty International documented severe conditions at the facility before the evacuation. Detainees reported being 'shackled inside a 2ft-high metal cage' and left outdoors without water for extended periods. One detainee said guards 'threw them to the ground' and placed them in a punishment 'box' — a metal container used as solitary confinement — after they asked for medication, according to Newsmax.
Humanitarian advocates called the evacuation 'belated but necessary,' arguing the site is 'a death trap during a storm surge.' NOAA's May 2026 outlook projected a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season overall but warned that warmer-than-average ocean temperatures could still fuel serious storms. That caveat proved relevant just weeks later, when the Gulf's first organized system prompted ICE's fastest large-scale detainee transfer of the year, according to KTSA.
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