COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida official said there are no orders to shut down the Everglades detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” and the state is preparing to receive its first federal reimbursement for operating costs.

Local 10 spoke with Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, who said any decision to close the facility would come from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — and no such directive has been issued.

“I literally got a communication today, kind of back channel if you will, for through some of my staff at FEMA that there is an initial check coming out,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie said Florida has requested about $390 million so far in federal reimbursement tied to the facility’s operations, which he compared to the same process used for disaster recovery funding such as hurricanes. He said those requests must still be vetted and verified.

He also confirmed the facility costs about $1 million per day to operate, but said he expects federal reimbursement to eventually cover the expenses.

“We always said it was going to be temporary,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “They’ve never told us they don’t want it anymore.”

According to Guthrie, Florida has not been given a timeline for any potential closure and continues to operate under existing agreements. He said the current arrangement could last one to two years depending on federal needs.

“This is potentially going to be a two-year option, or maybe even longer depending on the needs of the federal government,” he said.

Officials say the facility, which opened July 1 of last year, currently holds about 1,500 detainees. The overall FEMA-related contract tied to its operations totals about $608 million.

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