New Facts: Court filings allege DHS withheld evidence

New court filings say federal and state officials withheld records showing the federal government helped fund and run the Alligator Alcatraz detention site. A June 20 email records an agreement allowing Florida’s emergency management agency to detain noncitizens using a program that lets state officers use federal immigration powers, with federal funding support. Other emails show Florida applied for federal money by Aug. 7 and received a grant award letter on Aug. 15 that explained how the funds could be spent.

In a separate records suit, a Florida judge ordered the state to turn over its communications with federal agencies by Feb. 12, including FEMA grant files and emails about the grant. FEMA approved a $608 million grant in September to cover construction and operations at Alligator Alcatraz and a second state site, while Florida maintains that seeking reimbursement did not make the project a federal one. These records go to whether the project counts as a federal action that must undergo environmental review.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources