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DeSantis defends temporary Everglades Airport processing site as DHS capacity grows
Summary
Gov. Ron DeSantis said a temporary facility at Everglades Airport processed "almost 22,000" migrants and was set up at DHS request while federal capacity expanded; he said the state expects federal reimbursement and that the site will be wound down once DHS can handle operations.
An audience question referencing reports about a closure prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to describe the temporary processing facility at Everglades Airport, saying the site was established at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has processed "almost 22,000 illegal aliens" since it opened.
DeSantis said Florida stood up the site as a bridge when DHS lacked bed space to hold people apprehended by federal authorities. "If we didn't have that facility, DHS did not have room to put them anywhere. They would have been released back to the public," he said, adding he believes the operation has made the state safer and saved taxpayer money because federal reimbursement is expected.
On timing and disposition, DeSantis said the facility was always intended to be temporary and would be wound down once DHS had sufficient capacity to hold and process people. "We stepped up when no other state stepped up to help in a really big way," he said, and added that if DHS can handle processing at their own facilities, the state will break down the temporary site and return the airport to its prior uses.
Context and naming: an audience question used the phrase "Alligator Apetries" (verbatim), but in his response the governor referred to the Everglades Airport facility established to support DHS operations. The transcript does not provide a formal agency or project name matching the question's wording; the governor repeatedly described the site as the temporary Everglades Airport processing location.
DeSantis also said the operation was designed to be reimbursable by the federal government and that the state would cooperate with DHS as its capacity changes. He described ongoing coordination with DHS leadership and said the state would adapt if DHS opts to assume full responsibility for processing and housing.
