DOJ: Trump administration won’t pay for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ construction costs

By: Liv Caputo

Outlets: Florida Phoenix

Published: February 25, 2026

Words: 477

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 1 day ago

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A $608 million federal reimbursement that Florida’s been counting on to pay for the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” lockup won’t cover construction costs — if the money comes through at all, Justice Department lawyers said Tuesday.

Instead, any potential dollars would only fund “operational costs,” not “construction or facility modification,” the DOJ said in a new federal court filing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement may not even “materialize” at all, Attorney General James Uthmeier acknowledged …

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