Overview
- Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet, acting as the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, cleared roughly $40 million, including about $14 million in new awards and $26 million in amended requests.
- Lee County’s proposal, publicly listed near $22–23 million, was cut to about $9 million and its AI body-camera contract was shortened to two years, a last-minute change that was not fully explained at the meeting.
- Requests heavily feature surveillance and biometric technology such as AI-enabled body cameras, license plate readers, and mobile towers, with Washington County seeking a rapid DNA machine, rapid ID system, and an iris scanner.
- Despite dozens of approvals since September totaling more than $60 million, the state has disbursed only $93,544 to six agencies, according to the government accountability website.
- The grants draw on a $250 million state reimbursement fund as Florida’s broader $573 million enforcement tab awaits federal repayment that officials once touted but federal lawyers now contest.