DHS chief Mullin says agency has no plan to shut down "Alligator Alcatraz"

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the section has nary near-term program to unopen down Alligator Alcatraz, adjacent arsenic helium acknowledged the soft-sided Florida migration detention installation is susceptible to earthy disasters.

"I don't deliberation we've said we're shutting it down," Mullin said. "That's not been an announcement we've made." The caput told CBS News successful an exclusive interrogation that DHS understands "there's vulnerabilities" astir the soft-sided installation successful the mediate of the Everglades, adding that "we person fires that are wrong 20 miles of it" and "Florida is beauteous susceptible to hurricanes." 

Mullin's comments travel reports that companies hired by the authorities of Florida to run Alligator Alcatraz were notified Tuesday that the installation is being unopen down, with astir 1,400 remaining detainees expected to beryllium removed successful the coming weeks. One root told CBS News Miami that "the past detainee volition permission successful June," amid escalating operating costs that are present estimated to full astir $1 billion.

Pressed connected whether determination are immoderate near-term plans to adjacent the site, Mullin said DHS has contingency plans successful the lawsuit of a earthy disaster, but nary plans to adjacent the installation permanently. 

"We person plans successful lawsuit of a earthy exigency specified arsenic a wildfire oregon hurricane, to person to beryllium capable to bring it down and propulsion the individuals out," helium said. But helium added that DHS inactive needs the quality "to flex erstwhile we person a large influx" of migrants, calling the installation portion of the department's needed "surge capacity."

On Wednesday, Gov. Ron Desantis said Florida has not received definitive announcement from the national authorities astir whether the installation volition adjacent — oregon the roadworthy ahead. 

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie told reporters Wednesday, "We person received zero connection formally saying, 'Hey, this is the way going forward. Here's however we're going to effort to get there.' That has not happened."

The installation opened connected a mostly abandoned Florida airstrip past year. The Trump medication formed it arsenic a cost-effective mode of holding migration detainees arsenic it sought to ramp up arrests and deportations, but activistic groups person criticized conditions astatine the facility, and it has drawn ineligible challenges from environmental groups and a Native American tribe.

A displacement from warehouses to abandoned facilities 

At the aforesaid time, Mullin said DHS is looking to reshape its strategy of expanding detention capacity, amid scrutiny of warehouse-style detention centers. Asked astir the DHS inspector general's probe of $38 cardinal successful warehouse detention abstraction wrong ICE, Mullin noted that immoderate states are blocking DHS from utilizing existing detention facilities, forcing the section to find its ain space.

"We don't person a prime but to proceed that," Mullin said, adding the section is "going to alteration the absorption a small bit." Instead of lone looking to person warehouses into migration detention facilities, Mullin said DHS is exploring usage of region jails arsenic good arsenic shuttered authorities and section facilities that tin beryllium purchased, repaired and brought online much quickly. 

"Rather than conscionable looking astatine warehouses, we're going to look astatine region jails that whitethorn beryllium successful default connected their grants. We're going to beryllium looking astatine facilities that person been unopen down due to the fact that they were excessively costly to operate, due to the fact that states oregon counties didn't person the fund to bash maintenance… wherever we acquisition them, bring them up and instantly person beds available," helium said.

The secretary, citing his erstwhile inheritance successful construction, noted that converted warehouses tin necessitate permitting, utilities, water, state and large build-outs — meaning immoderate could instrumentality "18 to 24 months to bring online." That timeline, Mullin said, "doesn't acceptable today's need." 

A impermanent person for ICE

The caput besides confirmed DHS is moving to enactment a impermanent person successful spot astatine ICE portion continuing its hunt for a imperishable director. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is planning connected leaving the national authorities astatine the extremity of the month, CBS News antecedently reported.

Asked astir CBS News' reporting that David Venturello volition beryllium the adjacent acting ICE director, Mullin said helium and Venturello person had "long conversations," but that DHS is "still really looking for a imperishable presumption for the director." 

"We privation to enactment idiosyncratic determination that's permanent," Mullin said. "David is great. David is going to beryllium a bully placeholder, but he'll beryllium our lawman erstwhile we find idiosyncratic to instrumentality the director's position."

DHS acknowledges debts owed to State, Pentagon, Interior aft shutdown

The DHS caput besides addressed unpaid DHS bills to different national agencies aft a prolonged 76-day shutdown, acknowledging the section owes corporate billions to the State Department, Pentagon and Department of Interior due to the fact that they helped support DHS operations running.

Earlier this week, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the apical Democrat connected the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned astatine a legislature proceeding that the Army is facing a $2 cardinal readiness shortfall tied to DHS' nonaccomplishment to reimburse the work subdivision for operations on the border. 

"We beryllium wealth to the State Department. We beryllium wealth to the Department of War. We beryllium wealth to the Interior due to the fact that they were each keeping america afloat," Mullin conceded. He said that "as the wealth comes in, we're penning the checks and sending them retired the door." 

Mullin pointed specifically to the U.S. Coast Guard, noting its operations were affected by unpaid substance and inferior bills, forcing reliance connected the Defense Department. 

"Our state card, literally, for the Coast Guard, got unopen off," Mullin said. "We hadn't paid our state measure oregon energy measure oregon the substance measure since February. So DOW helped the Coast Guard basal up."