{"id":263817,"date":"2026-05-08T19:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T19:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/263817\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T19:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T19:07:12","slug":"florida-still-waiting-on-608m-for-alligator-alcatraz-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/263817\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida still waiting on $608M for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’"},"content":{"rendered":"

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 Florida officials are now discussing the future of the state\u2019s controversial Everglades immigration detention center known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d as many begin to question how much the facility has cost taxpayers \u2014 and when the federal government will actually pay Florida back.<\/p>\n

The New York Times first reported Thursday that Florida and federal officials have had early discussions about possibly shutting down the remote detention center, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks. The newspaper reported that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have raised concerns internally about the facility\u2019s operational costs and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Speaking outside the White House on Thursday, White House Border Czar Tom Homan acknowledged discussions surrounding the facility\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s talk about Alligator Alcatraz, but we don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be shut down,\u201d Homan said.<\/p>\n

Hours later, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed the discussions during a news conference in Lakeland while defending the facility\u2019s role in immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been discussed,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cIf we shut the lights out on it tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

A temporary facility with a growing price tag<\/p>\n

The detention center, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport deep in the Everglades, opened last summer as Florida expanded its role in federal immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the detention center argue the operation gave federal immigration officials desperately needed detention space during an aggressive nationwide immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n

DeSantis said the facility prevented immigrants arrested in Florida from being released while awaiting federal processing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat facility was created because we were requested by DHS to assist them with bed space,\u201d DeSantis said Thursday. \u201cThey didn\u2019t have a place to put illegal aliens that had been apprehended.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida officials are now discussing the future of the state\u2019s controversial Everglades immigration detention center known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d as many begin to question how much the facility has cost taxpayers \u2014 and when the federal government will actually pay Florida back. (WPEC)<\/p>\n

The governor said nearly 22,000 detainees have been processed through the facility since it opened. He noted it as a public safety measure. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf we didn\u2019t have that facility, DHS did not have room to put them anywhere,\u201d he said. \u201cThey would have been released back to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while the governor has repeatedly called the operation temporary, scrutiny over its cost has intensified.<\/p>\n

State representatives have publicly said Florida has been spending more than $1 million per day to operate the isolated detention center.<\/p>\n

Federal reimbursement approved \u2014 but still not paid<\/p>\n

One of the biggest questions now centers on the more than $608 million Florida requested from the federal government to help cover costs tied to the operation.<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida officials are now discussing the future of the state\u2019s controversial Everglades immigration detention center known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d as many begin to question how much the facility has cost taxpayers \u2014 and when the federal government will actually pay Florida back. (WPEC)<\/p>\n

DeSantis insisted this week that the reimbursement is coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the expenses are reimbursable by the federal government, and that will happen,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s FEMA, it takes a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Federal officials previously confirmed approval of the reimbursement request. However, the money still has not been distributed.<\/p>\n

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security denied reports it is pressuring Florida to shut the facility down, adding that reimbursement requests are still being reviewed.<\/p>\n

Any reports that DHS is pressuring the state to cease operations at Alligator Alcatraz are false. Florida continues to be a valuable partner in advancing President Trump\u2019s immigration agenda, and DHS appreciates their support. DHS continuously evaluates detention needs and requirements to ensure they meet the latest operational requirements. Regarding reimbursement, DHS reviews reimbursement requests for grant funding to ensure costs are allowable and validated expenses that are eligible for reimbursement prior to releasing funding.Court filings reveal Florida acknowledged financial risk<\/p>\n

Court filings tied to ongoing litigation over the facility show Florida officials were aware reimbursement was not guaranteed.<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida officials are now discussing the future of the state\u2019s controversial Everglades immigration detention center known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d as many begin to question how much the facility has cost taxpayers \u2014 and when the federal government will actually pay Florida back. (WPEC)<\/p>\n

In a February appellate court filing, attorneys representing the Florida Division of Emergency Management wrote:<\/p>\n

The State took the risk (and still does) that federal funding will not materialize.<\/p>\n

The same filing also stated:<\/p>\n

No federal dollars have been expended on the construction or use of the Facility.<\/p>\n

The filing was submitted Feb. 24, 2026, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit as part of an ongoing environmental legal battle involving the detention center.<\/p>\n

The court filing has become a focal point in the growing debate over whether taxpayers could ultimately be left covering hundreds of millions of dollars connected to the operation.<\/p>\n

Democratic lawmakers blast costs<\/p>\n

Several Democratic lawmakers have publicly criticized the spending.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.<\/p>\n

Rep. Lois Frankel posted in March that the detention center was costing taxpayers roughly $1.2 million per day. (FACEBOOK)<\/p>\n

Rep. Lois Frankel posted in March that the detention center was costing taxpayers roughly $1.2 million per day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlligator Alcatraz is costing Florida taxpayers $1.2 million per day,\u201d Frankel wrote on social media. \u201cThis is a moral failure and a waste of taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rep.<\/p>\n

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also criticized the facility this week after previously touring the site. (FACEBOOK)<\/p>\n

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also criticized the facility this week after previously touring the site.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy surprise visit last month to this despicable facility uncovered inhumane conditions,\u201d Wasserman Schultz posted Wednesday. \u201cIt\u2019s disgusting for Trump & DeSantis to cram people with no criminal history into cages, costing Florida taxpayers $1 million per day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conditions and lawsuits continue<\/p>\n

The detention center has faced repeated criticism from immigration attorneys, detainees\u2019 families, and advocacy groups since opening. Critics have alleged unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, poor phone access, excessive heat, and insect infestations at the tent-based facility. Florida officials have repeatedly denied those claims.<\/p>\n

Last month, attorneys representing detainees alleged guards used force against men protesting reduced phone access inside the center. Court filings included photographs allegedly showing injuries suffered during the incident.<\/p>\n

Environmental groups have also challenged the facility in court, arguing the project should have undergone federal environmental review before construction.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court blocked a lower court order that would have forced the facility to halt operations.<\/p>\n

Despite the criticism, DeSantis on Thursday defended the broader mission of the facility and rejected suggestions the state intended to permanently develop the Everglades site.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put $8 billion into Everglades restoration,\u201d the governor said. \u201cWhy would I want to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 Florida officials are now discussing the future of the state\u2019s controversial Everglades…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263742,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-263817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}