DHS chief Mullin says agency has no plan to shut down "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated there are no near-term plans to shut down the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in Florida, despite acknowledging its vulnerability to natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes.
- Reports indicate the facility’s operators were notified of a shutdown, with about 1,400 detainees expected to be removed by June due to escalating costs nearing $1 billion, but DHS maintains it needs the site for surge capacity amid migrant influxes.
- Mullin revealed DHS is shifting detention strategies away from warehouse conversions toward acquiring and refurbishing county jails and shuttered state/local facilities, aiming for faster availability of beds to meet current demands.
- DHS plans to appoint David Venturello as acting ICE director temporarily while continuing the search for a permanent leader, following the upcoming departure of Acting Director Todd Lyons.
- The department owes billions to agencies like the State Department, Pentagon, and Interior due to unpaid bills during a 76-day shutdown, with Mullin highlighting impacts such as the Coast Guard losing access to fuel and utility services until Defense Department support intervened.