Overview
- An August 22 email from Florida emergency-management chief Kevin Guthrie said the Everglades facility would likely have “0 individuals within a few days,” a message the recipients confirmed.
- U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams previously ordered a 60-day drawdown and removal of fences, lighting and generators, and barred any new intakes at the site.
- DHS and ICE have asked the judge to suspend her order pending appeal, arguing the loss of roughly 2,000 beds would hamper immigration enforcement; the court has not ruled on the stay.
- Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, whose suit produced the ruling, oppose a stay, noting reports the site used only 300–350 beds and that Florida plans a second detention site dubbed the “Depósito de Deportación.”
- Mexico’s government reported detainee complaints about hygiene, food and medical access and sent diplomatic notes, as civil-rights lawsuits allege restricted access to counsel and pressure leading to voluntary removals.