TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — So far, the start of the budget special session has been anything but typical. Committees are barely meeting and, if they are, only for a few minutes, with some of the biggest questions left behind the scenes.

In the meantime, there’s growing noise circulating the halls of the State Capitol around whether the state is getting reimbursed for putting up “Alligator Alcatraz.”

After recent reporting by The New York Times that the South Florida detention center could be closing soon, all eyes are on the governor and the federal government.

“I haven’t gotten any official word that they’re going to not be sending illegal aliens there,” said Governor Ron DeSantis at a press conference on Wednesday in Titusville.

The Governor touted the facility as a success, saying it’s even helped save taxpayers money.

“What is the cost of allowing illegal immigration to continue to overrun our society? I think those costs are staggering. And so we have saved taxpayers money,” said DeSantis.

But state democrats pushed back on that statement, arguing that it’s been a waste of taxpayer dollars, and should have never opened in the first place.

“I’m pleased to hear about the closure, but there’s still a lot of questions that we have as it pertains to accountability, but also cost,” said State Rep. Anna Eskamani, (D-Orlando). “This has cost the people of Florida upwards of a billion dollars, and there is no commitment to be 100% reimbursed.”

Senate Budget Chair Ed Hooper however says, the money may be around the corner.

“The feds came out this week and there’s, there’s a hopeful possibility that funding will be coming ASAP, maybe this week,” said Hooper at a Transportation Budget Committee meeting this week.

At this time, it remains unknown if, when, and how much the state will be receiving from the federal government for “Alligator Alcatraz.”

“There’s so much passing the buck here, but I think it’s pretty clear the state of Florida is responsible. I mean, this facility never would have opened if it wasn’t for the state of Florida consenting to it,” said Eskamani.

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