Florida’s Emergency Manager Detaining Immigrants Under Expanded Policy

(EVERGLADES, FLORIDA) Florida’s top disaster official now runs the state’s fast-growing immigrant detention network, a sweeping shift that places emergency resources at the center of immigration enforcement. Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, is overseeing the high-security Alligator Alcatraz facility deep in the Everglades and a second major site under construction in North Florida.

The move follows Governor Ron DeSantis’s use of emergency powers to speed construction, expand bed space, and support rapid deportation in coordination with local law enforcement and federal actions under President Trump.

Rapid build-out and the state system

State planning documents describe a system built for speed and scale. Alligator Alcatraz opened in early 2025 on a former airstrip after a rush construction push that lasted just over a week, bypassing normal public hearings and environmental reviews. The isolated compound now holds 700+ detainees, with more beds planned.

Florida is also building the “Deportation Depot” at Baker Correctional Institute, designed for 1,300+ detainees, and officials have discussed expanding detention capacity to as many as 10,000 people statewide. Private contractors — many with little or no prior detention experience — handle daily operations under Florida emergency management oversight.

Important facts at a glance:
– Alligator Alcatraz: Operational, 700+ detainees, built in just over a week on an Everglades airstrip.
– Deportation Depot: Under construction at Baker Correctional Institute, capacity 1,300+.
– Planned statewide capacity: Up to 10,000 beds under Florida emergency management oversight.
– Legal concerns: Reported limits on attorney access, monitored communications, and due process challenges.

Legal and human-rights concerns

Attorneys and rights groups say the rapid build-out has come at a steep human cost. Legal teams report barriers to attorney access, including blocked visits and monitored communications. The ACLU and partner organizations have filed lawsuits challenging the practices as violations of constitutional rights and due process.

Immigrant families and community groups describe a system that moves people through detention to deportation with little chance to present claims or seek counsel. VisaVerge.com reports that advocates are documenting cases where people struggle to reach lawyers or gather records needed to defend against removal.

Key reported problems include:
– Restricted or monitored contact with attorneys and family.
– Difficulty delivering or receiving legal mail and documents.
– Inexperienced private contractors leading to gaps in medical care, language access, and complaint handling.
– Remoteness that complicates visitation and legal representation.

Policy shift through Florida emergency management

The placement of immigrant detention under Florida emergency management has broad implications beyond the fenced compounds. Emergency managers warn that tying disaster agencies to deportation could make Hispanic and immigrant residents afraid to seek help during hurricanes, floods, or wildfires.

Those concerns are practical as well as political. The facilities sit in hurricane-prone regions, raising urgent operational questions:
– Who evacuates detainees during a storm?
– How are families notified?
– Where will buses go if roadways flood?

Emergency staff now juggle traditional life-safety missions alongside day-to-day detention demands. Guthrie’s division — experienced in logistics, statewide coordination, and emergency contracts — now uses those tools to drive immigrant detention, focusing on fast processing, staging, and transport for deportation.

Florida has also offered Florida National Guard members to serve as immigration judges to speed hearings, a move critics say would reshape due process in removal cases. Supporters argue that crowded dockets and resource limits require swift action; detractors warn that speed and fairness don’t mix well when liberty is at stake.

How this fits into broader enforcement

Florida’s approach sits within a larger enforcement landscape. The state leads the nation in local police participation in the 287(g) program, which lets certain local agencies partner with federal immigration authorities. More than 76% of Florida agencies have signed up, far outpacing other states.

For an official description of 287(g), see the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program.

Alligator Alcatraz’s location in the Everglades is both symbolic and practical: the swamp’s wildlife — including alligators — functions as a natural barrier. That isolation has sparked criticism over safety, medical access, and environmental risk. Emergency construction skipped typical environmental reviews, and lawyers say remoteness makes it harder for families and attorneys to visit.

Operational challenges and contractor issues

Inside the facilities, private contractors run daily operations, from intake to transport. Emergency contracts allowed the state to move fast, but speed often produces gaps in training, staffing, and oversight. Human rights groups point to contractor inexperience as a factor in reported problems with:
– Medical care
– Language access
– Complaint handling

With the facility already holding more than 700 people and capacity set to grow, small failures can become systemic within weeks.

On-the-ground implications for families, counties, and first responders

Florida emergency management’s central role in immigrant detention changes how counties, shelters, and first responders operate before and after storms. County officials now plan for dual missions: protecting local residents and maintaining custody of detainees who may have hearings, medical needs, or family ties across the state.

Advocates worry that evacuees could avoid shelters, fear roadblocks, or skip aid distribution sites because they associate emergency staff with immigration checks. Even when the state promises no screening at shelters, trust takes time to build — and a single viral story can drive people away from help.

The Baker County “Deportation Depot” expands these concerns: it’s designed to speed processing and removals, with buses and staging areas built to move large groups. Lawyers warn that fast-track systems can swallow asylum claims, especially when people lack time to gather evidence or consult counsel.

Practical problems families report:
– Confusion about where loved ones are held
– Difficulties sending documents
– Uncertainty about hearing schedules
– Missed hearings due to transfers or lockdowns

At Alligator Alcatraz, lawyers describe difficulty gaining private space to meet clients. Some report staff monitored conversations or restricted legal mail. These claims are central to ACLU lawsuits arguing constitutional protections apply inside detention even when emergency powers are invoked. Florida officials counter that security and order sometimes require strict controls and rapid adjustments.

Hurricane-season stakes and emergency logistics

The intersection with hurricane season heightens risks. Evacuations at remote sites like Alligator Alcatraz pose unique problems:
– Limited road access and flood-prone terrain
– Long distances to higher ground
– Complex medical evacuations for detainees with chronic conditions

Emergency planners typically build redundancy into sheltering and transport. With immigrant detention layered on top, staff need:
– Extra buses
– Bilingual personnel
– Secure transfer sites that can operate during power outages

Critics say the dual mission could pull resources from life-saving operations; supporters argue the state has experience moving people quickly. Either way, the choices will be public and consequential.

Community impact and competing narratives

Supporters of the expansion argue:
– The previous system failed to deter unlawful entry.
– Swift removal protects communities.
– High 287(g) participation shows local buy-in and need for more tools.

Critics counter that mass detention:
– Strains court systems
– Fuels racial profiling
– Harms local economies reliant on immigrant labor

Both sides agree Florida has moved faster than any other state to build an integrated detention pipeline under the banner of emergency management.

What’s next

As the Baker County facility nears completion, pressure grows on county courts, public defenders, and local jails. If Florida National Guard members serve as immigration judges, hearings could move faster — but faster decisions will continue to face appeals and federal court review.

The next major test may come with the season’s first big storm. If floodwaters rise near Alligator Alcatraz, Florida emergency management will have to move hundreds of detainees along the same highways families use to evacuate. Those moments will reveal how the state balances life safety, court deadlines, and custody rules — and whether emergency tools can sustainably run immigrant detention at scale.

Key takeaway:
Emergency authority can build beds and barriers quickly, but it cannot erase the complex web of statutes and constitutional protections that govern immigration enforcement and individual rights.