"State officials told vendors at the facility on Tuesday to prepare for a breakdown of the tented camp beginning next month, the New York Times reported, citing its ongoing cost. It was revealed in March that Ron DeSantis, Florida's Republican governor, spent $1.2m per day opening and operating the camp that quickly attracted headlines for the brutal treatment of detainees, and had essentially given up on a promised $608m rebate from the Trump administration."
"Stephanie Hartman, director of communications for the Florida division of emergency management that runs Alligator Alcatraz for the homeland security department (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), appeared to confirm the report. As Governor DeSantis stated last week, the South Florida detention facility was always intended to serve as a temporary facility to support ongoing illegal immigration enforcement and detention operations, she said Wednesday in a statement. If federal operational needs evolve and the DHS implements alternative plans for the South Florida detention facility, the state will pivot accordingly."
"Both Trump and DeSantis, a loyal foot soldier to the president's fiercely anti-immigrant agenda, have celebrated insalubrious conditions at the jail, which opened last summer on mosquito-infested land 50 miles (80.5km) west of Miami, and currently holds up to 1,400 prisoners in metal cages. It might be as good as the real Alcatraz. A little controversial, but I couldn't care less, Trump said"
"In a statement to the Associated Press last week it said: DHS continuously evaluates detention needs and requirements to ensure they meet the latest operational requirements. The homeland security department did not respond to a request for comment."
An alliance of environmental groups and immigration advocates welcomed the likely imminent closure of Alligator Alcatraz, a remote Florida immigration jail in the Everglades. State officials told vendors to prepare for a breakdown of the tented camp beginning next month due to ongoing costs. Ron DeSantis reportedly spent $1.2 million per day to open and operate the facility and had largely abandoned a promised $608 million rebate from the Trump administration. The facility is described as temporary and intended to support ongoing immigration enforcement and detention operations. The state said it would pivot if federal operational needs change and DHS implements alternative plans. DHS said it continuously evaluates detention needs and requirements. The jail opened last summer and has been criticized for harsh conditions, including mosquito-infested surroundings and detainees held in metal cages.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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