FEMA to Distribute Hundreds Of Millions to Help Build and Operate More Immigration Detention Centers

To support the Trump administration's plan to detain and deport millions of migrants, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will distribute more than $600 million to states to help build and operate more temporary immigration detention centers.

Although FEMA's mission is primarily to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, the agency has announced a new "detention support grant program" aimed at covering the costs of building temporary immigration detention facilities. The announcement was posted on FEMA's website last week but has since been removed.

Reports claimed the funds will be distributed in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). States have until Aug. 8 to apply for funding.

"This will relieve overcrowding in U.S. Customs and Border Protection's short-term holding facilities and further the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement plans," the agency stated in the program description, which is no longer available online.

As reported by the Miami Herald, the program prohibits states from using funds to build permanent facilities or to transport migrants between centers. The money may only be used to cover "the costs of sheltering aliens in a detained environment."

Despite this restriction, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that the state would seek reimbursement for the newly opened detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz," a facility capable of housing thousands of migrants and mired with allegations of mistreatment.

It remains unclear whether there will be a cap on the amount of funding each state can receive. However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Department of Homeland Security will draw from FEMA's $650 million Shelter and Services Program to finance the effort.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether the state has already filed for reimbursement or plans to apply for the grant.

Since opening on July 1, the Alligator Alcatraz facility has drawn criticism over conditions inside. DeSantis has called the center a model for future temporary detention operations and has indicated that his administration is exploring the construction of similar facilities elsewhere in the state, according to the Miami Herald.

For nearly a month, advocacy groups and legal representatives have raised concerns about the treatment of detainees. Earlier this month, The Latin Times reported that individuals held at the facility described unsanitary and degrading conditions.

And more recently, immigration advocates alleged that detainees were being denied access to legal counsel, held without formal charges and blocked from attending bond hearings after immigration court proceedings were canceled.