Overview

• Florida built and operates a tented immigration detention site at the Dade-Collier airstrip with up to 5,000 beds and currently holds roughly 700 to 3,000 detainees awaiting deportation.
• The Department of Homeland Security says it did not authorize or fund the facility, prompting Florida to front $450 million and seek reimbursement from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.
• Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have sued, arguing the camp bypassed required environmental reviews and infringes on sacred indigenous lands.
• Detainees and some touring lawmakers report overcrowded metal cages, sweltering heat, infestations and inadequate sanitation, leading to calls for the camp’s closure.
• A bipartisan inspection is slated to follow guided tours that produced sharply divided, party-line testimonials on the camp’s treatment of detainees.