U.S. to Invest $608 Million in Immigration Detention Centers

FEMA Allocates $608 Million for Detainees

Florida Opens ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Center

Criticism Over Inhumane Conditions for Migrants

The U.S. government, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced the allocation of more than $600 million to support the construction and expansion of immigration detention centers across the country.

This measure coincides with the tougher immigration policies pushed by President Donald Trump following his return to the White House in January 2025.

FEMA Drives Expansion of Immigration Centers

FEMA Allocates $608 Million for Detainees – Photo: Shutterstock

What’s Happening

FEMA will distribute $608 million to state and local governments under the Fiscal Year 2025 Detention Support Grant Program.

This initiative aims to provide “financial assistance (…) to house noncitizens in a detention facility until their transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” according to the federal government’s website.

“This will ease overcrowding in short-term detention facilities,” the official publication states, emphasizing that the measure will reinforce the actions of the Department of Homeland Security.

The program will accept applications until August 8, amid a surge in immigration raids and deportations since Trump took office.

Florida Takes the Lead

Some states did not wait for the federal announcement. Florida, for example, inaugurated on July 1 a new detention center nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” with a capacity for 3,000 detainees.

State authorities already plan to build a second facility once the occupancy limit is reached.

President Trump attended the opening ceremony of this center, located west of Miami, where he urged the rest of the country to follow Florida’s example:

“It’s time to build more (immigration detention) centers and regain control of our borders.”

RELATED: ICE Raids Paralyze Projects and Drive Up Costs in the U.S. Construction Industry

Complaints About Inhumane Conditions

However, along with the increase in arrests, criticism has also grown.

Activists and civil organizations denounce inhumane conditions in these immigration detention centers, which in many cases suffer from extreme overcrowding.

During a recent visit to the “Alligator Alcatraz” center, Democratic politicians described the sleeping areas for migrants as “cages” and raised concerns about poor bathroom conditions and the lack of adequate climate control systems—especially serious given the humidity and high temperatures in South Florida.

Context: FEMA Under Pressure

The funding announcement comes in a challenging context for FEMA, whose management has recently been questioned.

The agency faced heavy criticism for its slow response to the floods in Texas in early July, which left at least 133 people dead.

Despite budget cuts to multiple federal agencies under the new Trump administration, this multimillion-dollar allocation for the expansion of immigration centers shows the high priority of the immigration agenda within his government plan.

What do you think about the investment of millions of dollars in new immigration detention centers?

SOURCE: EFE