Alligator Alcatraz, the detention facility in Florida’s remote Everglades that became a centerpiece of President Trump’s deportation campaign, is shutting down. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the facility’s closure in a Thursday press conference with White House Border Czar Tom Homan, insisting the detention space is no longer necessary.  “I said from the beginning that this was an emergency solution that would be temporary, that once DHS had the wherewithal to be able to handle these illegal aliens, particularly the criminal illegal aliens, that they would be able to do so, and we would still help,” DeSantis said. “In terms of us managing this facility, the minute that’s no longer needed, then we obviously would break down the facility.”  The detention center, built by Gov. DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days, opened in July 2025. Located in a remote stretch of the Everglades surrounded by alligator-filled wetlands and other wildlife, the facility became a key component of President Trump’s effort to deport what he called the “worst of the worst.” “There is no question this mission has made the state of Florida safer,” said DeSantis, noting that nearly 21,000 people were deported through the facility.  Since its opening, the detention center has become a flashpoint for leftist activists, who claimed migrants were being held in inhumane conditions. Those activists initially secured a court order to shut down the facility, but an appeals court later reversed the ruling. According to the Department of Homeland Security, some of the detainees at Alligator Alcatraz included the following:  Abelardo Ocampo, an illegal from Mexico, was convicted of attempted homicide/second-degree murder and possession of a weapon with intent to harm.   Eraldo Ariel Perez Perez, an illegal from Guatemala, was convicted of sexual battery of a victim (12 years or older), physically helpless to resist. Efrain Mez-Choc, another illegal from Guatemala, was convicted of engaging in sex with a child and two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child 12-16 years old.  Gersain Lerma Lasprilla, an illegal from Colombia, was convicted in his home country for the manufacture and trafficking of firearms and ammunition.   Thallys Roberto Cassimiro DeSouza, an illegal from Brazil, convicted of robbery.  Simeon De La Cruz Paredes, an illegal from the Dominican Republic, was convicted of smuggling aliens. Diego Puentes, an illegal from Guatemala, convicted of second-degree murder.  “It has helped remove many, many dangerous people from the street and get them out of not only the state of Florida, but the United States of America,” DeSantis said. “We stood this up, we surged critical resources, we built critical infrastructure, we were able to manage very complex operations, and we were able to efficiently execute the mission when called upon.” Detainees who remained when the facility closed were transferred to other federal detention centers. Thursday’s announcement came hours after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority handed the Trump administration two major immigration victories, siding with the administration in a pair of closely watched cases involving asylum policy and deportation protections. In a 6-3 ruling, the court held that the Trump administration can move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitian immigrants and 6,000 Syrians currently living in the United States.  The president’s signature ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ turbocharged funding for border security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Last month, the Republican-led Congress funded ICE through the end of Trump’s second term over Democratic objections.  “The most secure border in the history of this nation was achieved under President Trump. Record numbers of arrests and deportations,” Homan said during a press conference. “Over 1 million departures since he’d been in the Oval Office. No president’s done that.”