JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The emergency fund used to bankroll Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot will live to see another day.
A bill reauthorizing the fund through July 1st, 2028, was one of the last to get approval from the Florida Legislature before the session ended Friday.
There are a few strings attached, but not as many as some lawmakers had hoped to see.
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The fund was created in 2022 and allows the Governor to pull money out of it to quickly respond to emergencies.
Since Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on immigration in 2023, $575 million from the fund has been spent on immigration enforcement, including the construction and operation of Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot.
The Florida House attempted to put major guardrails on the fund this year, including a restriction that it only be used to respond to natural emergencies.
But that plan was quickly condemned by Governor DeSantis.
“Is that what you want to see? Illegal aliens released back into the communities? Or do you want to see them removed from the communities?” said DeSantis, speaking at a news conference on February 17th.
In the end, that restriction didn’t make it into the final product, but others did.
The fund can no longer be used to purchase vehicles, planes, and boats.
The Governor will also have to seek legislative approval for spending on non-natural emergencies that extend beyond 60 days.
Additionally, if the state ends up receiving the anticipated $608 million federal reimbursement for its immigration enforcement efforts, the money will have to be deposited into a separate account, though the Governor would still have access to those funds.
In the end, State Representative Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) argued the bill doesn’t go nearly far enough.
“I just think this is a blank check similar to what Governor Ron DeSantis has already done,” said Nixon. ”He’s shown and proven that he cannot be a good fiscal steward of our taxpayer dollars, and I am concerned that the next Governor could possibly do the same thing.”
It’s still to be decided how much money the legislature puts into the fund, which currently has about $200 million remaining in it.
That decision will be made when lawmakers return to the State Capitol to finalize the state budget in April.
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