Alligator Alcatraz

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars to fund the effort through reimbursements from the state’s Immigration Enforcement Board and tens of thousands of federal dollars for its work at Alligator Alcatraz.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams previously ordered the facility to wind down operations, but that injunction was put on hold by an appellate court panel.

He discusses the lack of transparency around ICE's agreements with local law enforcement agencies to carry out federal immigration policies and what that means for democracy and the First Amendment.

Federal officials confirmed that a $608 million reimbursement had been approved for the center earlier this month.

The DOJ admits detainees likely include people who have never been in removal proceedings while arguing they don't have enough in common to be certified as a class in a lawsuit over access to attorneys.

A federal official confirmed Florida received the FEMA money it requested for the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center. It was awarded the day before the government shutdown.

The handbook submitted last week by the state of Florida in the separate legal-access lawsuit suggests that detainees are warned that guards would enforce strict rules on dress, hygiene and behavior.

The Republican Party of Florida has sold more than $125,000 in merchandise branded with "Alligator Alcatraz." The state's Democratic Party said the GOP is profiting from people's suffering.

The filings say detainees are often transferred just before scheduled lawyer visits, denying them legal representation.

According to the governor’s office, the Baker County facility opened Sept. 2 and had more than 100 detainees as of Friday. It can house up to 1,500 people.

Florida may be forced to choose between forgoing federal reimbursement for the immigrant detention center or facing an environmental review that would risk shutting down the facility.

The three-judge panel in Atlanta on Thursday decided by a 2-1 vote to stay the federal judge’s order pending the outcome of an appeal. The judges in the majority said it was in the public interest.