Overview

• The center, opened July 1 under Florida’s 287(g) program, currently holds about 3,000 migrants with capacity set to reach 5,000 in coming days.
• Operated exclusively with state funds and land under Gov. DeSantis’s emergency order, DHS has formally defended the facility while confirming it has provided no federal money.
• Environmental and Native American groups have filed lawsuits over construction without standard reviews and on tribal land, and five Democratic lawmakers were denied inspection access.
• A recent rainstorm flooded tents and submerged electrical cables, and experts warn that hurricane exposure and mosquito-borne disease pose additional risks to detainees.
• A draft operational plan suggests that minors could be held at the remote site under constant supervision, intensifying human rights concerns.