Overview

• Democratic and Republican legislators took a tightly controlled tour on July 12 after being denied unannounced access to the 3,000-bed Dade-Collier facility.
• Detainees and advocates report sweltering heat, poor sanitation and infested food; state officials insist the camp meets all standards with regular meals, water and showers.
• A lawsuit filed by five Democratic lawmakers challenges Gov. DeSantis’s administration for impeding legislative oversight after the July 3 access denial.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump have touted the remote Everglades site as central to expanding U.S. migrant detention capacity from 41,000 to 100,000.
• Critics including former Sen. Jeff Brandes warn the swamp-based center carries per-detainee costs far above state prisons and accuse it of being a political stunt.