FEMA Provides $608M to States for Migrant Detention Facilities

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is allocating over $600 million to states for the construction and expansion of immigration detention facilities as part of the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdown. This funding comes from a new Detention Support Grant Program, designed to relieve overcrowding in U.S. Customs and Border Protection short-term holding facilities and support immigration enforcement efforts. Florida's Everglades detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," is a prominent example and model for other states; it has faced criticism for poor living conditions but is promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis as a blueprint for detention. Additionally, FEMA is requiring states to allocate a portion of their terrorism prevention funds towards immigration enforcement activities, including construction of detention centers and partnerships with ICE. The grants repurpose funds from the Biden-era Shelter and Services Program, originally intended to assist local governments and nonprofits serving migrants, now redirected toward detention infrastructure. This shift reflects the Trump administration's strategy to involve states more actively in immigration enforcement through federal funding incentives.