Florida may incur a loss of $218 million due to the shutdown of an immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." A judge upheld her decision on Wednesday to wind down operations at the facility, which is located at a converted training airport in the Everglades. The state could face immediate costs of $15 million to $20 million for shutting down the center, with an additional $15 million to $20 million needed to restore the site if it is allowed to reopen in the future.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has invested heavily in the facility, which was built in a matter of days. It features chain-link cages and large white tents filled with bunk beds. An analysis of state spending data revealed that Florida has signed contracts totaling at least $405 million for the construction and operation of the center. Initially, officials estimated that it would cost $450 million annually to run. As of late July, the state had already allocated at least $245 million for the site, which opened on July 1.

President Donald Trump visited the facility last month, suggesting it could serve as a model for future detention centers as his administration seeks to expand deportation infrastructure. However, the center has faced criticism for unsanitary conditions and reports of detainees being cut off from legal assistance.

The facility is currently embroiled in multiple legal challenges. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled on Wednesday to deny requests to pause her order for winding down operations. She agreed with environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe that the state and federal authorities failed to conduct a required environmental review for the detention center, which is situated in sensitive wetlands. The judge noted that the number of detainees was already decreasing and stated that the federal government's immigration enforcement goals would not be hindered by a temporary halt in operations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not disclosed the current number of detainees or how many have been relocated since the judge's temporary injunction last week. In a statement, DHS confirmed it is complying with the order and moving detainees to other facilities. Environmental activist Jessica Namath, who has monitored the site, reported seeing metal frames for tents being removed but noted that FEMA trailers and portable bathrooms remained in place. "It definitely seems like they have been winding down operations," Namath said.

The state has reportedly allocated around $50 million for bathroom facilities at the center. Detainees and advocates have raised concerns about unsanitary conditions, including toilets that do not flush and flooding with waste, although officials have disputed these claims.

As of last week, the facility was already in the process of emptying its detainee population. Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, indicated in an email that the facility would likely have no detainees within a few days.

Funding issues are central to the federal government's appeal against the judge's order. DHS attorneys argue that federal environmental law does not apply to Florida and that the federal government is not responsible for the facility's construction or operation. They also noted that no final decisions on federal funding have been made.

Additionally, nearly two dozen Republican-led states have urged an appellate court to overturn the judge's order, claiming she overstepped her authority. Meanwhile, Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility, referred to as "Deportation Depot," at a state prison in northern Florida. Civil rights groups have filed multiple lawsuits against both state and federal governments regarding practices at the Everglades facility, alleging that detainees have been denied access to legal resources and describing severe issues that are unprecedented in the immigration system.