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Florida Email Says Everglades Detention Site Could Be Empty Within Days as Feds Seek Stay

A state email points to rapid transfers following an environmental ruling that ordered a 60-day wind-down.

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.