Overview
- Friends of the Everglades filed a state public-records lawsuit alleging Florida emergency management officials withheld the FEMA grant application and award for the Everglades detention facility.
- Court filings say the state applied for federal funding on Aug. 7, contradicting an appeals panel’s Sept. 4 statement that it was undisputed no application had been made.
- Federal officials confirmed in early October that FEMA approved roughly $608 million to reimburse Florida for building and operating the site.
- The Justice Department asked the appellate court to freeze the case due to the federal shutdown, while environmental groups urged expedited action, citing ongoing construction and new paving.
- Separate defense filings contend attorney-access complaints stemmed from a now-corrected clerical error in visitation policies, though immigration lawyers report continuing barriers to confidential, timely meetings.