COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Local 10 News Thursday that Florida did submit an application for FEMA reimbursement after building the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center, and on Tuesday (a day before the government shutdown), was awarded the full amount it applied for -- $608 million.
It is not immediately clear if the money will be exclusively spent on Alligator Alcatraz.
Back in July, DHS estimated the total cost for the remote detention center in the Everglades would be $450 million for one year.
#AlligatorAlcatraz: A DHS spokesperson tells me FEMA awarded reimbursement on September 30 (a day before the government shutdown) “to the full amount they [Florida] applied for. $608M.” It is not immediately clear if the $608M will be exclusively spent on Alligator Alcatraz. 🧵 https://t.co/D1qMXOkDGs
— Christina Boomer Vazquez, M.S. (@CBoomerVazquez) October 2, 2025
A spokesperson at the time told Local 10 News, “FEMA has roughly $625 million in Shelter and Services Program funds that can be allocated for this effort.”
Since then, the state opened one additional site, "Deportation Depot," and is seeking to open a third, which state officials are calling the “Panhandle Pokey.”
Generally speaking, FEMA’s grant regulations would allow for these funds to be spent on other similar projects.
Local 10 News has asked federal officials for a copy of Florida’s FEMA reimbursement application for your review. We have also asked state officials how much taxpayers have paid to date for the facility which began construction on June 23 and took in its first detainees on July 3.
In addition, we have asked state officials to clarify how they plan to allocate the $608 million of your federal taxpayer dollars.
By mid-August, Local 10 News learned during a federal court proceeding that the state had already spent upwards of $250 million.
A review of related contracts shows your taxpayer dollars have largely gone to paying a variety of private contractors to help construct and run the facility, which is managed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
We have asked state officials if they plan to dispatch state DOGE task force members to the remote facility to scrutinize the contracts and taxpayer spending at the site, but have not yet heard back.
After the state pulled contracts showing line item budget expenses from a state database, replacing them with “summary sheets,” Local 10 News joined a coalition of media organizations who are fighting for your First Amendment rights to know more about how your public money is being spent.
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