Detainees moved out of "Alligator Alcatraz" over hurricane concerns, ICE says

Source: CBS News

Updated on: June 16, 2026 / 11:23 PM EDT


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has moved detainees out of a controversial detention center in the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz," an ICE spokesperson told CBS News, citing safety concerns around hurricane season. "For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities," the spokesperson said in a statement.

CBS News Miami reported last month that companies hired by the state of Florida to operate Alligator Alcatraz were notified that the facility was being shut down, with roughly 1,400 remaining detainees expected to be removed.

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin later told CBS News the agency didn't have any near-term plans to close the facility. But he acknowledged it faces weather-related "vulnerabilities."

"We have plans in case of a natural emergency such as a wildfire or hurricane, to have to be able to bring it down and pull the individuals out," Mullin said.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/detainees-moved-out-of-alligator-alcatraz-over-hurricane-concerns/