Emergency management director cites 20,000 combined detainee intake since July; committee asks for site-specific counts

Director Kevin Guthrie, Division of Emergency Management, told senators the department had received figures about detainee intakes into state-operated detention locations since July. Asked by Senator Smith how many individuals had been detained at the South Florida Detention Facility and the Everglades site, Guthrie said the combined number used in a recent press conference with the governor was about 20,000. "That number was at 20,000," Guthrie said. He added he would follow up with the Senate office to provide a precise breakdown by site.

When pressed specifically about the Everglades Detention Camp, Guthrie said he estimated that "it's probably around 14 to 15,000 of that 20,000 number." Guthrie said detainee operations at those sites are intended as temporary holding until the Department of Homeland Security moves individuals to final destinations and that many of the costs are federally reimbursed.

Senator Smith requested a follow-up with exact detainee counts for the Everglades facility since the site opened; Guthrie agreed to provide the specific figures to the senator's office. The committee did not receive detailed site-by-site totals during the hearing and asked the agency to supplement the record.