Immigration News Today: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to Reportedly Close

Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Around the U.S.

Federal, state officials discuss closure of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’:

The infamous detention center in Florida’s Everglades may be shut down due to high costs, sources say. —New York Times [Paywall], Miami Herald

Air Force veteran sues Trump admin. for DNA collection after arrest at ICE protest:

Dana Briggs is a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging a DHS practice of collecting DNA from individuals arrested, facing charges or convicted. —New York Times

ICE reveals rare data on number of arrests in “sensitive” locations in San Diego:

An agency letter shows that more than 1,400 arrests took place in locations like schools, hospitals and places of worship between January 2025 and April 2026. —San Diego Tribune

Organizers, rapid responders change tactics in Chicago to counter targeted enforcement:  

Faster response times and increased training are just two ways that communities are resisting lower-profile enforcement tactics following Operation Midway Blitz. —Chicago Sun-Times 

ICE conducts raid on Disney cruise ship in Southern California:

Twenty-three crewmembers on the ship were arrested on April 28, according to a statement from an ICE spokesperson. —NBC7 

Washington, D.C.

Florida-based federal appeals court rejects Trump admin. detention policy as split in circuit deepens:

The Supreme Court may be called upon to decide on the policy as a second appeals court has rejected the federal government’s no-bond policy. —Axios 

ICE to scrap shortened training program for new recruits:

The 42-day accelerated program will revert to the original 72-day training schedule following criticism from Democrats and former law enforcement officials. —The Washington Post [Paywall], The Hill

Judge finds Trump admin. violated court order on warrantless immigration arrests:

An ICE memo instructing officers on when arrests could be carried out without a warrant provided a “flawed” definition of “escape risk,” according to the decision. —Bloomberg Law

New York

Upstate New York cops calling Border Patrol on drivers, videos show:

Officers from the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office have called federal authorities at least a dozen times between January and September last year, in potential violation of the law. —New York Focus

East Hampton considers law curbing local police cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement:

The proposal would limit ways in which local police and officials can cooperate with federal civil immigration enforcement. —News12

Mamdani admin. scrutinizing NYPD contracts with ICE vendor, documents show:City Hall ordered a review of Vigilant Solutions, which has provided surveillance technology to the police and to ICE, in February. —POLITICO