Florida immigration enforcement costs reach $460M for the year

Florida's Emergency Fund Allocated for Immigration Enforcement

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has allocated another $45.3 million for immigration enforcement-related costs, bringing the total for the year to nearly $460 million. This spending highlights the significant use of emergency funds for issues that extend beyond natural disasters.

According to Transparency Florida, a government accountability website through the executive office of the governor, FDEM filed a budget amendment on May 6, notifying the Legislature it was spending $45.3 million from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund to pay off invoices for the 2025-2026 year. In total, FDEM has spent $458.5 million in emergency funds on illegal immigration enforcement in the past year.

The division was blocked from spending money from the fund on any new contracts after February 17, when the Legislature failed to renew its authorization. However, the state can still use funds to pay off any invoices before the expiration date. The records did not detail how the money was spent, other than noting it was for "illegal migration."

FDEM officials did not respond to emails or a phone call requesting comment. The fund was created in 2022 to handle hurricane preparation and response and other natural disasters, allowing Gov. Ron DeSantis to quickly dispense money during states of emergency. Since 2022, lawmakers have deposited $4.77 billion into the fund. As of a few weeks ago, the fund balance was $199 million.

DeSantis first issued a state of emergency about illegal immigration in January 2023 and has renewed it every 60 days—more than 20 times—since. In the past year, hundreds of millions of dollars from the emergency fund has been spent on illegal immigration enforcement.

Legislative Changes and Ongoing Debates

Lawmakers eventually passed a bill (SB 7040) to resurrect the emergency fund, but it imposes new rules on how the money can be spent. Emergencies that are not natural disasters would need to have spending approved by the chair and vice-chair of the Legislative Budget Commission. Also, if the federal government reimburses the state for any spending, the money would be set aside to pay for outstanding invoices from vendors. And money in the fund can’t be used to buy aircraft, motor vehicles, or boats, but they could be leased to respond to an emergency.

The bill passed the Legislature but hasn’t been sent to DeSantis’ desk, leaving the fund in limbo still. An FDEM report in January showed Florida has spent $573 million on illegal immigration enforcement since the emergency declaration. That includes the creation of Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot, two state-run immigration detention facilities in the south and north of Florida, respectively.

The federal government has approved $608 million to reimburse Florida for immigration enforcement efforts, but that money has yet to be sent to the state. The question of who was paying for the site was a flashpoint in the court battle over Alligator Alcatraz, where environmental advocacy groups argued Florida should have complied with federal environmental rules before building the detention center if federal funds were used.

But a federal appeals court last month allowed the detention facility in the Everglades to stay open, noting there wasn’t enough federal oversight or any federal funds to comply with environmental rules.

DeSantis' Stance on Immigration Facilities

DeSantis on Monday emphasized Alligator Alcatraz "was built to be temporary. We did not want to build a permanent facility at that airport," he told reporters in Fort Myers. In response to a report from the New York Times last week that his administration had held talks with federal officials about closing down the facility, DeSantis confirmed discussions, but he also insisted Alligator Alcatraz will remain in place until the Department of Homeland Security doesn’t need help housing undocumented immigrants.

"If they stop sending (undocumented immigrants) to us then we obviously would break it down," DeSantis said. "But that’s going to be a decision that they’re going to have to make."