DeSantis says 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center always was meant to be temporary

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OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the immigration detention center known as “ Alligator Alcatraz ” always was meant to be temporary.

His comments came on the same day that The New York Times reported state and federal officials were in early talks about shutting down the facility in the Florida Everglades that DeSantis said has processed and deported 22,000 detainees since it opened last summer.

“At some point, we will, of course, break it down. That was always the goal,” the Republican governor said at a news conference in Lakeland.

If the Department of Homeland Security feels it has the resources to house detainees elsewhere, the facility will wind down, DeSantis said.

DHS officials have not said they want the facility to close, though the idea has been discussed since the department got a new secretary, Markwayne Mullin, in late March, and “you take a fresh look at these things,” the governor added.

Detainees at the facility have described poor physical conditions and difficulty accessing lawyers.

DHS on Thursday denied that it was urging Florida to cease operations at the facility.

“Florida continues to be a valuable partner in advancing President Trump’s immigration agenda, and DHS appreciates their support,” the department said in a statement. “DHS continuously evaluates detention needs and requirements to ensure they meet the latest operational requirements.”

Florida has spent more than $1 million a day to run the facility, and DeSantis has said he expects reimbursement from the federal government. The state has not yet received $608 million it has requested.

Detainees are segregated based on criminal history and whether they are considered a flight risk, according to a handbook made public as part of a lawsuit over whether detainees have proper access to attorneys. It says that during regular head counts, detainees aren’t allowed to move or talk. If they do, they can be punished, along with everyone in their dorm, by being locked in their housing unit.