Alligator Alcatraz to receive first immigrant detainees Wednesday night

Ana Ceballos and Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald on Jul 2, 2025

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The first detainees who will be held at a Florida-run immigration detention center deep in the Everglades are expected to arrive on Wednesday night.

“Alligator Alcatraz will be checking in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens tonight,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a post on X, referring to the facility by the official name the state has given it. “Next stop: back to where they came from.”

The facility opened on Tuesday with a visit from President Donald Trump. The timing of detainee arrivals at the detention facility in the Everglades was determined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, state officials told the Miami Herald.

“Florida stands ready to support federal operations as needed, and the state has ensured the facility is prepared to receive individuals once DHS and ICE finalize transportation logistics and scheduling,” a spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in an email.

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