Environmental Groups Expose Evidence on Florida's Controversial Immigration Detention Center

Sun Jan 11 2026 06:51:28 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Newly uncovered documents reveal federal and state communications regarding funding for Florida’s immigration detention facility in the Everglades, previously known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'.

Federal and state officials allegedly withheld evidence that the Department of Homeland Security had agreed to reimburse Florida for costs related to the construction of an immigration detention center in the Everglades. The facility, which has faced ongoing scrutiny from environmental groups, remains operational despite the challenges raised in court. New documents reveal prior discussions and funding approvals that contradict claims made by state officials, igniting further legal battles over the center’s future.

Environmental organizations have recently uncovered evidence indicating that both federal and state officials were aware of agreements concerning financial support for the construction of Florida's immigration detention center located in the Everglades, often referred to as 'Alligator Alcatraz'. These revelations emerged amid an ongoing lawsuit aimed at halting operations at the facility.

The detention center continues to operate, holding detainees, because an appellate court opted to uphold assertions made by Florida and previous Trump administration officials, claiming the state had not yet sought federal reimbursement thus was not obligated to adhere to federal environmental regulations.

Recent discoveries, comprising emails and records obtained via public requests, reveal that discussions regarding federal reimbursement took place as early as June. By early August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed receipt of the state’s grant application, subsequently approving $608 million in federal funding in late September to assist with the center's operations.

We now know that the federal and state government had records confirming their close partnership on this facility from its inception but failed to disclose them to the district court, stated Tania Galloni, an attorney representing the environmental plaintiffs.

In mid-August, a federal judge in Miami mandated a wind-down of the center's operations over two months due to the failure to complete an environmental impact review as stipulated by federal law. The judge concluded that these reimbursement discussions had already transpired.

Currently, the Florida Department of Emergency Management, the agency responsible for overseeing the facility's construction efforts, has not responded to requests for comments. Environmental groups have pointed out that this legal challenge is just one of several federal court actions contesting the legitimacy of the facility, with part of their arguments centered on the state and private contractors' authority to manage the center under existing federal law.