Hurricane plan for Florida's Alligator Alcatraz heavily redacted, raising concerns

Source: CBS News

Updated on: August 1, 2025 / 12:20 AM EDT


Florida emergency officials have released a heavily redacted 33-page draft plan outlining evacuation procedures for the Alligator Alcatraz detention center in the event of a hurricane. The plan left lawmakers and advocates demanding more transparency.

Redacted pages leave key questions unanswered

The draft, titled South Florida Detention Facility Continuity of Operations Plan, was issued by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

It outlines broad hurricane evacuation protocols, including transportation, staffing and relocation procedures for detainees. However, large portions of the document—sometimes entire pages—have been blacked out, including the list of five alternate facilities that could be used during an evacuation.

On page 4, the plan reads: "The geography [of] this location, while ideal for integrated detention operations in support of the DHS–ICE initiatives, is vulnerable to tropical weather." It continues: "All vendors have developed individual continuity planning procedures to include the level of staffing necessary to support the STDF concurrently with evacuation and relocation of detainees to alternate facilities…" Who those vendors are and what the procedures entail remains unclear.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/hurricane-plan-for-floridas-alligator-alcatraz-heavily-redacted-raising-concerns/