US rights advocates welcome ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ closure, say systemic worries remain

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) – U.S. immigrants’ rights advocates welcomed the announcement by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of the closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” but also urged ​caution, saying the migrant detention center symbolized a wider ‌systemic problem that remains.

DeSantis said on Thursday the detention center “fulfilled the role it was designed to serve.”

Carmen Iguina González, deputy director for immigration detention with the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said ‌the ​closure was worth celebrating.

“However, the nightmarish scene ⁠found at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ is ⁠not wholly unique and reflects systemic patterns of abuse at other ICE detention facilities nationwide,” she said.

“We remain very concerned that people may be transferred to other sites ​with sordid and dangerous conditions, and we will continue to monitor this situation.”

Last week, the U.S. Immigration and Customs ⁠Enforcement agency said detainees at “Alligator Alcatraz” ⁠were relocated to other facilities.

ICE, which is part ​of the Department of Homeland Security, held an average of ​about 1,400 detainees at the facility from October 1, ‌2025, through early April, according to the agency’s statistics.

“These failures are not an isolated case — they reflect systemic failures throughout our immigration detention system,” said Paul Chavez, director of litigation ⁠and advocacy at Americans for Immigrant Justice.

Environmental groups had sued over the detention center, alleging a lack of proper permits and required ⁠reviews.

ICE has been ‌at the heart of President Donald Trump’s immigration ⁠crackdown that rights groups have condemned as ​violating free ‌speech and due process rights.

Human rights groups ​say the ⁠crackdown has created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, and led to concerns of racial profiling.

Trump and Republican advocates of the crackdown, including DeSantis, say it aims to curb illegal immigration and improve domestic security.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in WashingtonEditing ​by Rod Nickel)