Overview
- Rep. Maxwell Frost visited the Everglades detention site on Tuesday and said he saw about 655 detainees, emptied intake areas, and flights moving people out of the airstrip.
- Visitors and staff described visible dismantling and told Frost that removing temporary tents and infrastructure would take roughly 15 to 30 days after the last detainee leaves.
- Neither Florida officials nor federal agencies have issued a formal closure notice for the facility even as on-site operations appear to be shrinking.
- Lawmakers and advocates are pressing for transparency about where detainees are being sent, continued legal access for families and lawyers, and audits of state contracts after reports the site cost roughly $1 billion to $1.2 billion.
- The site was built quickly on the Dade‑Collier airstrip in summer 2025, has faced lawsuits from environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, and state officials say other Florida detention sites could absorb transfers.