# Florida Approves $250M for Immigration Debt Amid Delayed Report
- Medio: Civic Coast News (https://civiccoastnews.com)
- URL: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-approves-250m-for-immigration-debt-amid-delayed-report
- Sección: Politics
- Autor: Civic Coast News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-09-12T07:09:17.183Z
> Florida lawmakers approve $250M for immigration enforcement as a late fiscal report reveals millions in unpaid vendor bills, drawing sharp criticism over emergency fund usage.

## Las claves

- The Florida Legislature approved approximately $8 million for National Guard pay and $187 million for the Division of Emergency Management to cover outstanding debts.
- A report detailing 592 unpaid invoices worth $417 million was submitted less than an hour before the legislative vote took place on Friday, September 11.
- Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman criticized the administration's timing and use of emergency powers while discussing the state-run detention centers.

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Legislature approved approximately $250 million in additional funding for the state’s disaster response and immigration enforcement efforts on Friday, following a contentious vote that coincided with the submission of a long-delayed fiscal report. Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration turned in the document less than an hour before lawmakers were set to decide whether the agency should receive more money as Florida attempts to pay off mounting debts for its state-run immigrant detention centers.

### Delayed Report Sparks Legislative Criticism

The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is involved in immigration enforcement after Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on the issue three years ago, has promised at least $1.4 billion to vendors who built the state’s Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot migrant lockups. According to the agency’s report — initially due in mid-July — it has racked up 592 unpaid invoices worth $417 million for immigration operations carried out last fiscal year.

Lawmakers received the report about an hour before they were set to vote on appropriating more than $250 million. "This morning — this very morning — we received the report," Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman said during Friday’s joint Legislative Budget Commission meeting. She pointed out that her staff had not had the opportunity to go through the document, accusing the DeSantis administration of abusing emergency power.

### Funding Breakdown and Outstanding Debts

The commission approved roughly $8 million for National Guard pay to continue staffing and running the Deportation Depot immigration detention center in Baker County. Additionally, $187 million was allocated for the Division of Emergency Management, with the majority designated for unpaid bills. The agency also received another $62 million for other emergencies, as this newspaper reported in [Florida Approves $250M to Cover Immigration Detention Debts](/noticia/florida-approves-250m-to-cover-immigration-detention-debts).

The report indicated that about 90% of the debts incurred last fiscal year from the emergency fund were for immigration purposes. However, this figure does not account for other unpaid immigration tabs agreed to during operations in 2023 and 2024, nor does it reflect ballooned contract totals which reached $1.4 billion earlier in September. The state reported its largest outstanding debts are owed to portable toilet company Doodie Calls, waiting on $93 million of a more than $219 million total, and IRG Global Emergency Management, as this newspaper reported in [Florida Delays Report on Immigration and Disaster Spending](/noticia/florida-delays-report-on-immigration-and-disaster-spending).

### Future Projections and Emergency Powers

The report showed little plan for the state to slow down its emergency spending on immigration. The division set its "conservative projected estimate" for immigration-related spending in the financial year starting July through mid-2027 at $500 million. Governor DeSantis has extended his immigration state of emergency more than 20 times, allowing him to use disaster dollars for detention and deportation efforts, as noted by [AP News](https://apnews.com).

If DeSantis does not extend the declaration again, that spending authority would expire next Friday. The funds are drawn from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, a pool created in 2022 permitting rapid payment for disasters without legislative approval. Immigration enforcement became the fund’s primary use in 2025.
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Fuente original: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-approves-250m-for-immigration-debt-amid-delayed-report