'Alligator Alcatraz', created by Trump to arrest illegal immigrants, closes its doors after 1 year

Get to know the 'Alcatraz of the Alligators', the new immigration prison that Trump will open in Florida
The immigration detention center known as the "Alcatraz of the Alligators", in the United States, was closed after less than a year of operation. The announcement was made this Thursday (25) by the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.
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During a visit to the facilities, alongside the person responsible for White House border policy and other officials, DeSantis stated that there were no more detainees there. He also said that the unit fulfilled the emergency function for which it was built.
The center was the target of criticism from lawyers, relatives of prisoners and civil and human rights organizations. The groups pointed out conditions of detention and questioned procedural guarantees for some of the detainees.
"'Alligator Alcatraz' fulfilled its purpose," said DeSantis. According to him, the structure allowed the expulsion of "many dangerous people" from the country.
The unit was built on a practically deactivated airstrip, in a swamp area in Florida. The operation began in July 2025.
The center was used to support the Donald Trump government's mass deportation plan. During a visit to the site, the American president said jokingly that the region's alligators would act as a kind of natural security.
The name "Alcatraz dos Alligators" refers to the old Alcatraz prison, located in the San Francisco Bay region. The cost of installation was the subject of debate. The estimate is that it exceeded US$ 1 billion (around R$ 5 billion).
According to authorities, the last inmates were transferred to other units or deported. The United States press reported that the total dismantling of the structure has already begun. The center is treated by authorities as a model for other states.
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Trump visits 'Alligator Alcatraz', new immigration detention center in Florida, on July 1, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Source: G1