Federal–State Law Enforcement Cooperation

Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the Department of Homeland Security to approve a third state-run immigration detention center in the Florida Panhandle (with a fourth site under consideration in South Florida), saying the state will open it if DHS signs off and arguing the federal government lacks sufficient detention space. He cited roughly 10,400 arrests in his "Operation Tidal Wave" and about 10,000 additional local-law-enforcement arrests — totaling roughly 20,000 in the past year, with 63% of state-initiative arrestees having prior arrests or convictions — while three federal lawsuits challenging the Everglades facility’s legality, attorney–client access and environmental review remain pending.