Court documents reveal that no federal money has been disbursed to Florida for the controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades, contradicting Gov. Ron DeSantis' assurances to taxpayers.
WATCH BELOW: 'The writing has been on the wall from the start,' Tania Galloni tells WPTV's Jamie Ostroff
Our investigative team has been pressing for answers about who is paying for the immigration detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" since it opened in the middle of the Everglades over the summer. We reported in October that FEMA had approved more than $600 million to reimburse the state of Florida for building and operating the facility.
Information in newly-filed court documents indicates the state hasn't seen a dime of that money.
Since FEMA awarded that $608 million grant more than two months ago, neither the U.S. Department of Homeland Security nor the Florida Division of Emergency Management has answered our direct questions about how much, if any, of that grant money had been disbursed.
It was just last week when Gov. Ron DeSantis reassured Florida taxpayers that they are not on the hook for "Alligator Alcatraz."
"I always get these questions or people will say, 'Oh, Florida taxpayers are funding that' — first of all, it's reimbursed," DeSantis said. "It's reimbursable, 100%."
But according to a pair of appellate briefs filed by the state and federal governments this week, there's been no reimbursement.
"No federal dollars have been expended on the facility's construction or operation and unrealized plans to provide federal funding are legally insufficient," attorneys representing the federal government wrote in its brief.
The fact that the immigration detention facility is a state-funded operation is mentioned no less than five times in the document. A separate brief filed by the state of Florida backs that up. It does point out that federal funds were awarded — just not disbursed.
"The writing has been on the wall from the start," said Tania Galloni.
Galloni is the managing attorney for Earth Justice in Florida — a law firm representing environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe in the federal case where these briefs were filed. They argue "Alligator Alcatraz" should be shut down, because the government violated the National Environmental Policy Act — a statute that requires federal agencies to conduct environmental impact assessments before starting on a major proposed project. State governments are not subject to this law.
"It is an avenue that the agencies right now are trying to dance around in a way to avoid liability for environment, for complying with environmental law," Galloni said.
In August, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the shutdown of "Alligator Alcatraz." The Court of Appeals issued a stay pending a full appeal of the order, pausing the lower court's ruling two weeks after it was issued and allowing "Alligator Alcatraz" to continue operating.
Regardless of if or when any federal funding comes to Florida, Galloni believes it won't impact her case.
"In all the public statements by Secretary Noem, by the president, by the governor-- all the public statements have been super clear what this arrangement was from the get go, that the money hasn't changed hands is really neither here nor there," Galloni said.
DeSantis believes "Alligator Alcatraz" is a net benefit to taxpayers.
"Illegal immigration costs taxpayers. It costs health care. It costs education," DeSantis said. "I never hear the media or the critics talk about how much we're saving."
WPTV reached out to FEMA to ask why — as the brief puts it — it's "unrealized plans to provide federal funding are legally insufficient."
They acknowledged my request but so far have not given me an answer. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has not responded to our inquiry posing the same question.
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