When Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier initially proposed the idea, he called the remote site an "efficient, low-cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter."
"We don't need to build a lot of brick and mortar … it will be temporary, and thankfully Mother Nature does a lot on the perimeter," he told conservative pundit Benny Johnson in an interview for his podcast, The Benny Show.
During a press conference held just days after the facility officially opened, Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed that point.
"What we're doing is temporary," DeSantis said. "We're not going to make permanent sites on these locations."
But several signs now suggest the state-run detention site may be more than a short-term project. Among them: job postings that describe Alligator Alcatraz as a "long-term security operation."

Contrary to what Florida officials have said, job postings for Alligator Alcatraz describe the site as a "long-term security operation."
Screenshot via Indeed
"Dynamic Integrated Security is seeking qualified Unarmed Security Officers to join our mission-driven team in support of a long-term security operation at a critical infrastructure site in Florida," one of the listings reads. "Join a team committed to safety, professionalism, and operational excellence in one of Florida's most unique locations."
The unarmed security guard position pays $25 an hour and requires a valid Florida "Class D" security officer license, according to the job listing. The correctional officer role, which requires a valid Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) certification, offers higher pay, starting at a "guaranteed" $10,000 a month.
According to the job listings, employees will be provided with accommodations, including a single-bunk trailer with meals and laundry service. The company also says uniforms, including shirts and hats, will be issued after the first few days on site.
"Guards will receive full on-site orientation and access TBD," the listings read. "Contract is at-will, but is expected to last up to 12 months, with possible 12-month option periods."

The company specializes in "safe school officers," or "armed personnel who aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises.."
Screenshot via Dynamic Integrated Security/YouTube
The company specializes in "safe school officers," or "armed personnel who aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises," according to its website.
Notably, the company was a "Platinum" sponsor of the Florida Department of Education's first-ever "National Summit on School Safety" held in March of this year, seemingly donating at least $4,000 to the Florida Education Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the state's department of education, according to public documents.
The company also holds a federal contract with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), allowing it to provide private security services to federal agencies across the country. The contract appears to expire in March 2026.
Dynamic Integrated Security did not respond to New Times' request for comment.

President Donald Trump tours the immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz.
Photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr/theWhiteHouse
GardaWorld, an international security company whose U.S. headquarters are in Boca Raton, has been contracted to do work for Alligator Alcatraz, according to the Tampa Bay Times. But while the state hasn't said exactly what work the company is doing, GardaWorld appears to have posted several armed security jobs for a facility in Ochopee (where the detention facility is located).
A LinkedIn listing for an unarmed security guard position in Ochopee with GardaWorld offers $25 an hour and requires employees to live on-site, but includes housing, meals, and even flights, according to the post.
"Employees may be exposed to extreme cold or hot weather conditions, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and loud noise," the listing reads.
Another GardaWorld job listing on Indeed, titled "IMMEDIATE START! Correctional Officer (Unarmed)-Live on-site required Housing/Meals Provided," describes a similar $26 an hour security gig in the vaguely located "Southern Central, FL."
"This is a DEPLOYED role supporting a U.S. government contract at a migrant processing custodial facility. We are seeking personnel available for immediate deployment," the listing reads. "This is a full-time long term position (contract-based). Must be able to start ASAP! If you're not a Florida local, we provide airfare to deployment site."
In response to a request for comment, GardaWorld referred New Times to Florida's Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), the state agency running the facility.
Since Alligator Alcatraz opened in early July, much about its operation has remained unclear.
State officials have released little information about the detainees, and immigration attorneys — who've had limited access to their clients at the facility — have called it a "black hole." The state has quietly removed related contracts from public databases, and two federal judges in Miami recently asked the DeSantis and Trump administrations to clarify one basic question: Who the hell is actually running this place?
Stephanie Hartman, a spokesperson for FDEM, did not respond to New Times' request for comment about the job postings.