After six months behind the fences of the Everglades detention camp known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” Miami-Dade father Justo Bentacourt finally walked out and into the arms of his family in southwest Miami-Dade early Thursday. Bentacourt had been detained during a routine immigration check-in late last year, and his release came only after months of legal battles and public pressure driven in large part by his daughter Arianne.
The family and their attorney say a judge recently ruled that Bentacourt had been held too long, clearing the way for him to go home. Local 10 first met Arianne outside the camp in November, when she vowed not to stop fighting for her father’s freedom. She kept that promise and was there for Thursday’s reunion.
He described ‘traumatic’ conditions inside the camp
Bentacourt did not sugarcoat life inside the soft-sided camp. He described the conditions as harsh and “traumatic,” telling reporters, “It’s crazy. The animals don’t stay like how people stay over there. Every single day you have to work for your life.” His relief at stepping outside was mixed with concern, as he noted that many others remain locked inside the Everglades facility, according to Local 10.
Shutdown talks and timeline
The future of the site has been murky for weeks, with growing chatter that a shutdown could be coming sooner rather than later. The New York Times has reported that state and federal officials were in early talks to move detainees out by the start of June. So far, though, neither state nor federal agencies have publicly committed to a formal schedule, as summarized by WUSF.
DHS says no near-term plan to close
Federal homeland security officials are not exactly singing from the same songbook. In an exclusive interview, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the department has no near-term plan to shut the facility and stressed that DHS needs surge capacity even as it prepares for contingencies such as storms and wildfires, according to CBS News. Gov. Ron DeSantis has maintained that the camp was always meant to be temporary, but state officials have yet to roll out any detailed wind-down plan.
Legal fight isn’t over
Even with families like Bentacourt’s celebrating individual victories, the broader legal and environmental fight over Alligator Alcatraz is very much alive. Environmental organizations and the Miccosukee Tribe are continuing litigation that challenges the camp’s presence in the Everglades. A recent appellate decision kept the facility open while the case plays out, according to AP News. The plaintiffs argue that any eventual closure will need court oversight and environmental remediation of the site…