DHS moves all detainees out of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ amid hurricane concerns

All detainees astatine "Alligator Alcatraz," a migrant detention halfway successful the Florida Everglades, person been transferred to different facilities, according to the Department of Homeland Security, citing concerns astir the hurricane season.

The bureau said that each detainees astatine the installation had been transferred, though it did not specify however galore were taken. Some of these detainees volition beryllium transferred to "Deportation Depot," different ICE installation successful Sanderson, Florida, acceptable up successful the bluish portion of the state.

DHS besides did not code if the migrants would enactment astatine the caller facilities agelong word oregon if the transfers were lone temporary.

"As we participate into hurricane season, ICE and the authorities of Florida person moved amerciable aliens from the soft-sided facility. For the information of the amerciable alien detainees, we transferred them to different facilities," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News successful a statement.

GUARDS AT 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' BEAT, PEPPER-SPRAYED DETAINEES, LAWYER SAYS

All detainees astatine "Alligator Alcatraz" person been transferred to different facilities, DHS said. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The hurricane play lasts six months, from June done November. "Alligator Alcatraz" opened connected July 3, 2025, conscionable 1 period aft the commencement of past year's hurricane season, which ended without immoderate storms making landfall successful the Sunshine State.

Shortly aft the migrant transportation announcement, the National Hurricane Center said that the archetypal tropical tempest of this year's hurricane play had formed disconnected the Texas coast.

The arguable state-run detention halfway has been hailed by President Donald Trump but criticized by lawyers and quality rights groups implicit its harsh conditions and mistreatment of detainees.

Detainees astatine the installation person reported a deficiency of entree to lawyers and mediocre carnal conditions, including worms successful the food, toilets that bash not flush, floors flooding with fecal discarded and insects everywhere.

The arguable state-run detention halfway has been criticized by lawyers and quality rights groups implicit its harsh conditions and mistreatment of detainees. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"Transferring radical retired of this cruel installation is an important step, but it does not erase the harm that has already been done," Amy Godshall, an lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who filed a suit against the authorities and the national authorities implicit detainees' alleged deficiency of entree to ineligible representation, said successful a statement. "The authorities and national authorities indispensable permanently adjacent this installation and perpetrate to ne'er detaining radical determination again."

The facility, surrounded by alligator-filled swamps successful the Florida Everglades, was constructed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ medication to enactment Trump's program to wide detain and deport migrants.

Trump toured the installation conscionable 2 days earlier it was opened past summer. The installation has processed and deported much than 20,000 detainees since its opening.

DeSantis said past period that the detention installation was ever meant to beryllium temporary.

FUTURE OF RON DESANTIS' CONTROVERSIAL 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' ICE HOLDING FACILITY REVEALED

President Donald Trump toured the installation conscionable 2 days earlier it was opened past summer. (Getty Images)

Immigration advocates and lawyers said the hurricane play is conscionable an excuse and not the existent crushed wherefore the detainees person been transferred. They said they noticed an summation successful the fig of transfers of detainees to different facilities implicit the past fewer weeks and that they mislaid interaction with dozens of detainees during these transfers.

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"That’s a nonsense excuse due to the fact that they opened successful the mediate of the worst portion of hurricane play past year," said Arianne Betancourt, a assemblage advocator astatine the non-governmental radical The Workers Circle who has spent months connecting detainees with attorneys.

"They are each gone," Blankenship added. "They person been moved and disappeared into the strategy and are unavailable to household oregon counsel, typically for a play of astir a week."

Fox News' Bill Melugin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.