Florida is in preliminary talks with the Trump administration to shut down the controversial Everglades immigration detention center nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," according to three people familiar with the discussions. The facility, which opened last July, has cost the state more than $1 million daily to operate.

Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has repeatedly called the facility a success, arguing it provided additional beds for federal detainees. However, Department of Homeland Security officials now consider the center both too expensive to maintain and ineffective in its operations. Florida has yet to receive the $608 million reimbursement it requested from the federal government.

The remote swamp location between Miami and Naples required vendors to truck in tents, generators, and trailers while constantly removing sewage—driving up costs significantly. Critics have denounced what they describe as unsanitary and inhumane conditions since the center opened 10 months ago. Immigration lawyers and activists would welcome a shutdown as a significant victory.

As of last month, the center held nearly 1,400 male detainees, with approximately two-thirds classified as noncriminal according to ICE data. The facility became the nation's first state-run center to house federal immigration detainees.