Ron DeSantis’s development of a massive detention facility in the Everglades has apparently exposed a lucrative relationship that Democrats in the Sunshine State are calling a possible pay-for-play scheme.
The construction of “Alligator Alcatraz” is a major political milestone for the Florida governor, whose allies and critics both say harbors further ambitions of taking his brand national after a trouncing at the hands of Donald Trump in 2024’s GOP primary. According to a state estimate obtained by the Associated Press, officials believe the facility will be operational and able to house up to 5,000 immigrants awaiting deportation by the end of July.
It’s a focus of controversy as a result, with critics describing it as the modern-day equivalent of a concentration camp — a characterization DeSantis and his allies reject. The facility is situated in the dense, swampy terrain of the Florida Everglades, a natural deterrent to escape attempts, as described by state officials in public announcements regarding the project. Trump and some of his followers have even made jokes about alligators eating escapees.
One author who published a history of concentration camps dating back to World War II described it in an op-ed for MSNBC: “This facility’s purpose fits the classic model: mass civilian detention without real trials targeting vulnerable groups for political gain based on ethnicity, race, religion or political affiliation rather than for crimes committed. And its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country. “
But the human rights concerns that forced the president to publicly back away from the policy of “family separation” (and his overall plans for mass deportation) in his first term are not the only ones surrounding this new facility.
A report from the Florida Trident found that a brand-new contracting company known as IRG Global Emergency Management was awarded a $1.1m contract to provide “operational support services in support of migration efforts” by the state in late July. Citing environmental activists watching the site, the publication reported that the company’s trucks have been spotted outside of “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Formed in February of 2025, the Trident reports that IRG Global Emergency Management is actually an offshoot of Access Restoration Services US, Inc. (ARS). ARS recently opened its pockets to DeSantis’s political sphere, dropping donations totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Florida Republican causes over the past 3 years. Those included donations to DeSantis’s own PAC as well as the state GOP.
The Independent reached out to both IRG Global Emergency Management and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the contracting process for the facility. Both declined to speak to the Trident.
Democrats, as a result, say the relationship is an example of pay-for-play.
“It’s clear pay for play, it’s clear you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. It’s favoritism and cronyism,” state Rep. Anna Eskamani told the Trident.
The involvement of a firm with ties to a major donor in state Republican circles is just one of the potential issues surrounding the funding for “Alligator Alcatraz”.
Court filings revealed last week that, while DHS officials and even President Donald Trump himself continue to talk a big game about funding the project, the federal government has yet to shell out a dime for it. In fact, Florida’s government hasn’t yet applied for federal funding.
“Florida has received no federal funds, nor has it applied for federal funds related to the temporary detention center,” read a court filing submitted by a DHS official.
That revelation resulted in a furious condemnation from the state’s Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried, who accused DeSantis of raiding state funds without a guarantee of reimbursement from the federal government, despite Trump and others having toured the facility with DeSantis and made statements vowing to financially support the project. Fried also condemned officials at the facility for denying an attempt by Democratic state lawmakers to inspect the facility for themselves.
“DeSantis is stealing $450 million of taxpayer dollars—money that should be going to fix Florida’s property insurance crisis, strengthen public schools, expand Medicaid, and build affordable housing. Everyday Floridians and immigrant families are paying for this cruel political stunt,” said Fried.
