Recent news reports show detainee numbers dropping and equipment being hauled out of the Everglades detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz. Gov. Ron DeSantis has acknowledged the facility — which he claims was always meant to be temporary — could close soon, though no date has been set.

By the time it does close, “Uthmeier’s folly” — as we’ve called it because Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reportedly dreamed the whole thing up — will have cost federal and state taxpayers more than $1 billion.

The ecological damage is still mounting. A new lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity alleges the facility violated the Clean Air Act through unpermitted pollution from diesel generators running since operations began in June 2025. That’s on top of an existing suit by Friends of the Everglades filed because the facility was built without a required federal environmental review. It’s clear Alligator Alcatraz has caused untold harm — including 20 new acres of pavement in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve and nighttime lighting that disrupts wildlife habitat.

It’s hard to know what will happen with the lawsuits if and when the facility shuts down. But two things are clear:

There was never a legitimate case for building in the Everglades. The cost, the inaccessibility, the need to import everything — this was the least efficient option imaginable. It was chosen for the backdrop: foreboding swampland, alligators waiting to chomp on any detainees who escaped. This was political signaling — DeSantis and Uthmeier showing the faithful how hardcore they are on immigration, damn the consequences.

Those consequences were real. Even if the feds cover the full $608 million the state has requested in reimbursements, Florida taxpayers are on the hook for the rest. As for damage to the environment, we may not know the true scope for years.

Both Uthmeier and DeSantis should answer for this, but DeSantis is not on the ballot this year. Uthmeier is.

And this November, voters can send a clear message: Florida deserves leaders who govern responsibly, not politicians who blow a billion dollars on political stunts designed to signal toughness while the Everglades pays the price.

As recent news reports indicate that Alligator Alcatraz may be winding down, the question remains: Who will be held accountable for this?

It’s clear there was never any legitimate justification for building a detention center in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve. The cost, the inaccessibility, the need to import everything — this was the least efficient option imaginable. It was chosen for the backdrop: foreboding swampland, alligators waiting to chomp on any detainees who escaped. This was political signaling — DeSantis and Uthmeier showing the faithful how hardcore they are on immigration, damn the consequences.

And those consequences are real. Twenty new acres of pavement in the Everglades, bright nighttime lighting that disrupted wildlife habitat; and now, a new lawsuit has been filed alleging that pollution from all the generators on site violated the Clean Air Act. 

Both Uthmeier and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier bear responsibility for this debacle. But DeSantis isn’t on the ballot this year; Uthmeier is. He was the “mastermind” behind this debacle.

And voters have a real chance to send a clear message: Florida deserves leaders who govern responsibly, not politicians who blow a billion dollars on political stunts designed to signal toughness while the Everglades pays the price.