Everglades

Florida officials confirmed that two detainees at Deportation Depot, an immigration detention facility in Sanderson, were mistakenly released over the weekend due to an administrative error. Both were located and returned to custody shortly after, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), which said there was no ongoing threat to the public. It remains unclear whether the two had criminal records. The agency said the incident is under review to ensure accountability and prevent recurrence.

Deportation Depot, housed in the former Baker Correctional Institute, currently holds about 1,000 detainees awaiting transfer to ICE custody, with capacity for up to 2,000. The state has a contract worth up to $101 million with GEO|CDR BAKER, a company formed by executives from The GEO Group and CDR Health Care, to staff the facility; roughly $32 million has been paid so far. FDEM, which oversees Florida's immigration detention operations under Gov. Ron DeSantis, has also projected a potential $1.5 billion deficit in its emergency fund amid federal reimbursement shortfalls. As of mid-October, the state has assisted in nearly 28,000 immigration arrests.

Florida's Division of Emergency Management released a long-delayed report Friday showing a projected $1.5 billion worst-case deficit by next summer, just before a legislative budget commission approved an additional $250 million to cover overdue bills. Of that, $187 million goes to contractors tied to the now-closed Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility and related enforcement work, including $60 million to a porta-potty supplier; the remaining $62 million covers hurricane recovery costs dating back three years.

The state's pay-first, reimburse-later system means Florida is still owed more than $500 million from the federal government for immigration enforcement (Operation Vigilant Sentry) and roughly $2 billion combined for Hurricanes Helene and Milton recovery. The report, due in July but delivered in September, projects the agency will spend $2.6 billion through mid-2027 while receiving only about $1.1 billion in funding. Democrats on the commission, who voted against the request, criticized the administration's transparency and argued emergency funds are being diverted toward immigration enforcement rather than disaster recovery.