Lt. Governor responds to Alligator Alcatraz closure reports

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — Questions continue to swirl around the future of Alligator Alcatraz, but Florida leaders still are not confirming whether the controversial detention facility is shutting down.

This week, CBS News Miami reported that vendors and contractors were told to begin a full demobilization of the site. The report said the process would take several days before the property returns to its original use as a training airport.

But when WINK News asked Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins about those reports, he declined to confirm them and suggested the public may not yet know the full story.

"Look, I've heard some of these reports, and I've had people reaching out," Collins said. "This is the governor's discussion. When he's going to put out whatever it is, that's when this is whatever the facts are, right? Until then, I promise you, there's always a lot more discussion."

When asked why Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has not publicly addressed the reports, Collins said, "Generally speaking, when those kinds of things happen, it means there's more to the story, or perhaps people jumped over their skis a little bit."

The comments mirror responses from other state leaders in recent days. Neither Governor DeSantis nor Attorney General James Uthmeier has directly confirmed reports that the facility is closing.

DeSantis has repeatedly said the detention center was always intended to be temporary. He has also said that whenever operations at the site end, the property would return to its original purpose as a training airport.

The questions come after ICE confirmed to WINK News that detainees previously housed at the facility were transferred to other locations ahead of hurricane season.

In a statement provided to WINK News last week, an ICE spokesperson said:

"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."

For now, questions remain about what comes next.