Overview
- Rep. Maxwell Frost visited the Everglades detention site on Tuesday and reported clear signs of a shutdown, including an empty intake area, a taken-down tent, fewer staff and active flights using the on-site airstrip.
- Frost said ICE data showed the on-site population fell to about 655 during his visit, down from roughly 1,400–1,500 a month earlier, and that transfers to other facilities are already under way.
- State and federal officials have not issued a formal closure notice or released a public plan for when the last detainee will leave or where people will be transferred.
- Florida has pressed for large federal reimbursements for operating the temporary site and faces questions about roughly $608 million approved to date plus additional disputed sums as the facility winds down.
- Human rights advocates and lawyers say transfers have complicated access to counsel and hearings for detainees, and oversight teams warn removal of infrastructure could take 15 to 30 days after the last person departs.