Anchor: Claire Galt
•6/17/2026
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — Environmental groups are questioning why taxpayer money is still being spent on Alligator Alcatraz after detainees were moved out of the facility.
The Friends of the Everglades held a virtual news conference on Thursday, one day after WINK News first reported that ICE moved detainees from the detention center to other facilities ahead of hurricane season.
While detainees have been moved, it remains unclear whether Alligator Alcatraz is actually shutting down. WINK News asked ICE whether the move is permanent but did not receive an answer.
The group argued taxpayers should no longer be paying to operate the site if it is no longer housing detainees.
"We did prevail in getting a court order that allowed us to access records that showed the staggering costs associated with this project. I'm sure all of you are aware, $1.2 million a day estimated, estimated $1.49 billion in total costs, so the expense to taxpayers that has been borne as a result of this project is inexcusable," said Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples.
Despite detainees being relocated, the facility looked much the same on Thursday morning. Florida Highway Patrol troopers were still stationed outside, and from the road, Alligator Alcatraz appeared to be operating as it has since opening last July.
On Wednesday, an ICE spokesperson told WINK News anchor Claire Galt:
"As we enter into hurricane season, ICE and the state of Florida have moved illegal aliens from the soft-sided facility. For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities."
The explanation has also raised questions from opponents of the project because the facility opened during hurricane season last year and housed detainees there through that season.
If operations have ended, Friends of the Everglades says the state should begin restoring the property to its condition before the detention center was built: the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a long-abandoned airstrip in the Everglades.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously said the detention center was always intended to be temporary and that the site would be restored once operations eventually end.
The group's legal fight is also far from over.
One of its main environmental lawsuits remains pending. The lawsuit argues Florida bypassed required environmental reviews before opening Alligator Alcatraz and alleges the project has harmed the Everglades through construction activities, including paving, lighting, generators, traffic, and other development.
For now, one major question remains unanswered: whether moving detainees out of Alligator Alcatraz marks the beginning of the facility's permanent closure—or simply a temporary move ahead of hurricane season.
