A $608 million federal reimbursement that Florida’s been counting on to pay for the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” lockup won’t cover construction costs — if the money comes through at all, Justice Department lawyers have declared.
Instead, any potential dollars would only fund “operational costs,” not “construction or facility modification,” the DOJ said in a new federal court filing posted Tuesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement may not even “materialize” at all, Attorney General James Uthmeier acknowledged in a separate filing.
This breaks from past assertions from both President Donald Trump and the DeSantis administration that the $608 million grant would largely foot the bill for Florida’s state-run detention centers.
“Any potential future federal funding is reimbursement-based, calculated per detainee, and available only for operational costs — not construction or facility modification,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson wrote.
“As it likely will be structured, there will be no potential federal funding of the facility’s design, siting, maintenance, or construction, and no federal approval authority over whether the facility is built at all,” he added.
Tuesday’s filings were part of an ongoing legal battle brought by the Friends of the Everglades, the Miccosukee Tribe, and Earthjustice against the federal government in hopes of shuttering the Everglades detention facility. The government, represented by DOJ lawyers, is appealing a lower court’s decision that sided with the activists.
The case centers on whether or not federal dollars going toward “Alligator Alcatraz” would mean it has to comply with federal environmental laws.
Florida has long waited for these federal dollars to come in. Although it was initially reported that DHS on Sep. 30 had awarded all $608 million to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, federal lawyers claimed Tuesday that the notice was simply a “letter from FEMA approving FDEM’s eligibility” for the grant.
FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said earlier this month that FEMA told him the DOJ is holding up the reimbursement. This comes amid a massive restructuring within the DHS under Secretary Kristi Noem, who’s overseen mass firings and drawn heat for imposing additional restrictions on FEMA spending. This includes requiring her personal sign-off on expenses of more than $100,000, which has greatly slowed disbursements.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has operated both the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” and Baker County’s “Deportation Depot” migrant lockups over the past few months at the governor’s direction. They’ve pulled more than $406 million from the state’s emergency response fund since August to cover anti-immigration costs, including payments for private jets, restaurant meals, and legal fees.
That number represents 70% of the total spent on immigration in the past three years. Although it’s unclear how much went toward modifying the detention facilities, more than $380 million was shelled out on contracts, including $92 million to a porta-potty company and $60 million on a disaster response business.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
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lib224
So Republicans stick us with creating a concentration camp in a swamp.
Friday, February 27 Report this
graumli22
So the Biden administration is still sticking it to us with their failed "open borders" policies! The ripple effect of hundreds of thousands of illegals entering our country and no follow up on temporary visas will continue to cost us long into the future. Smh.
Friday, February 27 Report this
RRICH69176
Both parties are sticking to us...intelligent citizens must see the state and local governments are not necessarily for "the people".
Friday, February 27 Report this
san.gander
Trump being Trump - he welches again! How could anyone expect differently?
Friday, February 27 Report this
Kneeds2Know+
The "scandalous" nature of Alligator Alcatraz deals stem from private companies charging rates characterized as "far above normal" market standards. Since Gov. DeSantis intentionally used emergency powers to suspend competitive bidding, those firms were able to set their own prices with almost zero state oversight.
Recent investigations have highlighted massive overcharges and financial risks stemming from the "emergency" no-bid-contracts ability to bypass standard Florida procurement laws. The state paid over $11 million for asphalt and "permanent fencing" at a site that was initially claimed to be temporary with "zero impact". One major contractor was found to be charging hourly rates 237% higher than the industry average. Amnesty International’s Dec 2025 report documented extreme, unsanitary conditions at the Alligator Alcatraz facility, a place where $22 million no-bid contract was awarded yet detainees have had no working showers or limited access with toilets frequently overflowing. Taxpayers are also being charged $245-$410 per day per person detained, which is significantly higher than the standard ICE average of $187.
The state also used the "emergency response fund" to purchase hundreds of brand-new transport and passenger vehicles, vans and even helicopter engines. Investigations into the Alligator Alcatraz project have confirmed Gov. DeSantis' no-bid contractors charged significantly higher rates than industry standards, while benefiting from a lack of transparency and bypassed state oversight. Public records and investigative reports confirm private contractors managing Alligator Alcatraz are paid wages significantly higher than those of their counterparts in Florida’s permanent state prisons. For example, a warden is paid $125 an hour about $260K, whereas those in correction facilities receive a medium pay of about $70K.
A court’s ruling on Gov. DeSantis’ “abuse of power” is still pending, but realize that a significant portion of the $573 million in immigration-related state spending went to companies that are major donors to DeSantis' campaign fund or the Florida GOP.
Sadly, the DOJ stated this week that FEMA will not cover the $218 million in construction costs, potentially leaving Florida taxpayers to foot the entire bill for these high-priced contracts with warmings from state economists that there may be a $1.5 billion deficit in the 2027-2028 budget followed by a $6.6 billion in 2028-2029.
Friday, February 27 Report this
Hamwoman
Thank you Kneeds2Know+
I always remember, “Follow the money” - we need to know who received the no-bid contracts.
Friday, February 27 Report this
kmskepton
Both parties have stuck it to us. They don’t care one whit about “illegals” except for cheap labor and a source of political points. If they all really cared about this “problem” it would have been solved quickly. Remember the shoe bomber?!?!
Saturday, February 28 Report this
Kneeds2Know+
Hamwoman: The names of all no-bid contractors are easily looked up online. The two largest private prison operators, GEO Group and CoreCivic, reported revenue increases of over 100% in 2025. It is shocking how much profit top private detention contractors and their executives made and that millions of "thank you" dollars were given to Republican politicians like DeSantis, Uthemeier, Trump, PACs, and the Republican party. Now, they want to build another one near Orlando.
It is not about immigration as much as it is a money-maker. ICE data shows 70% of people in dentation have committed no crime, but can't get their Constitutional Right to due process as Trump has slashed the number of immigration judges enforcing a huge backlog. So, the numbers of people in those centers keep increasing and will never DECREASE.
This is taxpayer money spent without a vote as independent and legislative analysts point to "red flags" that threaten the state's long-term stability. And now the loss of FEMA funds creates a significant gap in Florida's 2026 fiscal planning and will begin plans to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in costs directly onto state taxpayers. Thus, the reason for the recent legislation to eliminate non-school property taxes for homestead, leading to the state controlling the pot while counties are left dealing with the deficit. Realize that bill includes a "public safety guarantee" that legally prohibits counties from cutting police or fire budgets below 2024–2025 levels. Since these are the largest parts of a county budget, local leaders will be forced to slash other services—like roads, parks, and libraries—to make up for the billions in lost revenue.
Vote NO on HJR 201/203 and keep the responsibility on the state's shoulders who are intentionally making this mess as a way to MOVE TOWARDS PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER PUBLIC SERVICES.
Saturday, February 28 Report this
RRICH69176
The ignorant voters of Florida are responsible..and the biggest suckers in the country...continue to VOTE your party!
Sunday, March 1 Report this