Federal immigration officials have transferred detainees out of the controversial detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” but environmental advocates say the fight to shut down the Florida Everglades site is far from over.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that detainees were removed from the facility, located at a remote airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve, citing concerns related to hurricane season.

“As we enter into hurricane season, ICE and the state of Florida have moved illegal aliens from the soft sided facility,” a spokesperson said in an email to Prism. “For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities.”

The announcement follows mounting speculation that the detention center, which was established by the state of Florida in 2025 as part of a broader federal immigration crackdown, would be winding down operations. Environmental groups challenging the project in federal court welcomed the removal of detainees but cautioned against assuming the facility has permanently closed.

“I don’t know that we’re certain that it’s closing just yet,” said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the organizations leading the legal challenge against the facility.

“We have folks who are monitoring the site today, and they’re saying that they are seeing a ton of activity, busses, vans, trucks going not only off the site but also back on to it, and so we’re really trying to get an understanding of exactly what the federal and state government intend to do with the site at this point,” Bennett told Prism in an interview.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades sued state and federal officials shortly after construction began, arguing that authorities bypassed required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida later joined the lawsuit, citing concerns about impacts on tribal lands and nearby communities. The Miccosukee Tribe declined to comment on the potential closure of “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Read the full article about the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility by Alexandra Martinez at Prism Reports.