Florida spent over $1.2 million daily on 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention facility

Records show DeSantis administration planned to spend over $1 billion on the makeshift detention center in the Everglades, but federal reimbursement remains uncertain.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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According to court records, the Florida Division of Emergency Management planned to spend more than $1.49 billion on the makeshift immigration detention facility in the Everglades known as 'Alligator Alcatraz'. The state was spending over $1 million per day to run the facility, with the 'daily burn' rate topping $3 million a day during its earliest weeks. However, the question of who will ultimately pay for the facility remains open, as the federal government has not yet reimbursed the state for the costs.

Why it matters

The revelations about the staggering scale of spending on the Everglades detention center come at a critical time, as state lawmakers are considering reauthorizing the multibillion-dollar emergency fund that allowed the governor's office to spend profusely and rapidly to build and run the facility. The lack of transparency and oversight around the project has also raised concerns about the state's use of taxpayer dollars for federal immigration enforcement.

The details

The documents show the state was spending more than $1 million per day to run the facility, with the 'daily burn' rate topping $3 million a day during its earliest weeks. Individual expenses include $92 million paid to a portable restroom company, $39,000 spent on pillows for staff, and $169,900 for 'boonie hats'. The facility's warden is listed as earning $1,000 a day in regular pay, totaling $365,000 a year, with another $273,000 expected in annual overtime pay. Corrections officers were projected to earn a base salary of more than $120,000 a year, almost three times the base pay of correctional officers in the state's prisons.

  • The Florida Division of Emergency Management formally requested a $1.49 billion grant from the federal government on August 7, 2025.
  • In October 2025, DeSantis announced that the Department of Homeland Security had awarded Florida a $608 million reimbursement for the facility.
  • In December 2025, Florida submitted a more than $30 million payment request to FEMA, which was denied two days later due to the need for an environmental review.

The players

Ron DeSantis

The Republican governor of Florida who spearheaded the construction and operation of the Everglades detention facility.

Kevin Guthrie

The executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the state agency that oversaw the Everglades detention facility.

James Uthmeier

The Florida Attorney General credited as the architect behind the idea for the South Florida detention facility.

Friends of the Everglades

An advocacy group that brought a lawsuit against the state over the construction of the Everglades detention facility.

Donald Trump

The former president whose political committees received donations from owners of companies that received multimillion-dollar contracts for the Everglades detention facility.

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What they’re saying

“We were right; media was wrong...”

— Ron DeSantis (DeSantis' social media post)

“The State constructed and operated the facility, and the federal government had no say in whether or how the State proceeded. The State took the risk (and still does) that federal funding will not materialize.”

— James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General (Court filing)

“Any opportunity to get funds to us by mid-December will go a very long way with our Stakeholders, so we will work expeditiously to complete any outstanding items.”

— FDEM's then-chief of staff (Email to FEMA officials)

What’s next

The Florida Senate panel is slated to consider a proposal reauthorizing the Emergency Preparedness & Response Fund on Monday, which could determine the future funding for the Everglades detention facility.

The takeaway

The revelations about the staggering costs of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility raise serious questions about the transparency and oversight of the DeSantis administration's use of taxpayer funds for federal immigration enforcement, as well as the long-term financial implications for Florida if the federal government does not provide the promised reimbursement.