De-escalation: Alligator Alcatraz to Close in June

Florida officials told site contractors that Alligator Alcatraz will wind down in June. About 1,400 detainees are to be removed by the start of the month, with the camp to be dismantled in the weeks after.

The move follows mounting costs, with state records putting operations at about $1 million a day. Some private vendors have gone unpaid for months, with one contractor citing invoices pending more than six months. Florida has not received the $608 million in federal reimbursement it requested.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has described the facility as temporary and has not confirmed a shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security says it is not pressuring the state to close the site and is reviewing detention needs. Destinations for those being moved have not been disclosed.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources