FEMA to distribute $680 million to states to build migrant detention facilities

Miami Herald

28-07-2025

Over the past month, as the Trump administration has intensified its immigration crackdown, it has called on states to take a more active role in assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement by building temporary facilities to hold detained migrants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will now distribute $680 million to states and local governments through a new 'Detention Support Grant Program' for the construction of new migrant detention facilities.
'This will relieve overcrowding in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's short-term holding facilities, further the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement plans,' the description of the program states.
The detention grant program is launching almost a month after the opening of Alligator Alcatraz, the state-run migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is the leading example of a state cooperating with the federal government to detain undocumented immigrants
The Everglades facility is estimated to cost Florida taxpayers $450 million and is capable of holding up to 3,000 to 5,000 detainees, according to FEMA. Contracts and purchase orders in the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System show the state has already committed to spending more than $200 million with private contractors. FEMA has said the state can request reimbursement from the agency's $650 million Shelter and Service program fund. The program was established under the Biden administration to award grants to state, local and non-profit organizations that provide services to immigrants released from ICE custody.
DeSantis said Friday the state will begin requesting reimbursement from the federal government. Despite complaints from detainees and their lawyers about unsanitary conditions such as clogged toilets, limited showers, and high temperatures, DeSantis has called Alligator Alcatraz a blueprint for temporary detention that other states can follow.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the facility, did not respond to requests for comments on whether the state has filed for reimbursement from the federal government and if the state plans to apply for grants from the new program.
The new detention grant program requires recipients not to use the funds to construct new permanent facilities, nor can they be used for the transportation of detained migrants between detention centers. It can only be used for 'the costs of sheltering aliens in a detained environment.' An environmental impact assessment is also required.
Environmentalists and critics of Alligator Alcatraz have voiced concerns about the bright lights and new constructions, such as the roadway, disturbing the Everglades ecosystem. In June, environmental groups filed a lawsuit accusing the state and federal governments of failing to adhere to environmental regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The DeSantis administration has said it plans to build several detention sites similar to Alligator Alcatraz to hold undocumented immigrants. DeSantis has suggested a Clay County training site known as 'Camp Blanding' could be the next location for an immigration detention center.
FEMA did not respond to a request for comments on whether the new program funds differed from those of the shelter program. It is also unclear whether there will be a limit on the amount each state is awarded. States and local governments have until early August to apply for the program.