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ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal and state officials withheld evidence that the Department of Homeland Security had agreed to reimburse Florida for some of the costs of constructing an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” according to environmental groups suing to shut down the facility.

The Everglades facility remains open, still holding detainees, because an appellate court in early September relied on arguments by Florida and the Trump administration that the state hadn’t yet applied for federal reimbursement, and therefore wasn’t required to follow federal environmental law.

The new evidence — emails and documents obtained through a public records request — shows that officials had discussed federal reimbursement in June, and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed in early August that it had received from state officials a grant application. Florida was notified in late September that FEMA had approved $608 million in federal funding to support the center’s construction and operation.

“We now know that the federal and state government had records confirming that they closely partnered on this facility from the beginning but failed to disclose them to the district court,” said Tania Galloni, one of the attorneys for the environmental groups.

An appellate panel in Atlanta put a temporary hold on a lower court judge’s ruling that would have closed the state-built facility. The new evidence should now be considered as the judges decide the facility’s permanent fate, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, said in court papers on Wednesday.

A federal judge in Miami in mid-August ordered the facility to wind down operations over two months because officials had failed to do a review of the detention center’s environmental impact according to federal law. That judge concluded that a reimbursement decision already had been made.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management, which led the efforts to build the Everglades facility, didn’t respond to an emailed inquiry on Thursday.

Florida has led other states in constructing facilities to support President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Besides the Everglades facility, which received its first detainees in July, Florida has opened an immigration detention center in northeast Florida and is looking at opening a third facility in the Florida Panhandle.

The environmental lawsuit is one of three federal court challenges to the Everglades facility. In the others, detainees said Florida agencies and private contractors hired by the state have no authority to operate the center under federal law. They’re also seeking a ruling ensuring access to confidential communications with their attorneys.

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TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers are once again trying to crack down on distracted driving, this time with a proposal that goes further than the state’s current law.

Senate Bill 1152, filed ahead of the upcoming legislative session, would make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers could still use GPS, make phone calls, or use navigation apps, but only through hands-free technology such as Bluetooth or built-in vehicle systems.

That restriction would apply even when a vehicle is stopped at a red light or in traffic. The bill defines “handheld” use broadly, including holding a phone in one or both hands or bracing it against the body.

Supporters say Florida’s existing law, which primarily targets texting while driving, doesn’t fully address the many ways drivers use their phones behind the wheel and can be difficult for law enforcement to enforce consistently.

The bill also includes privacy protections. Law enforcement officers would not be allowed to search or confiscate a driver’s phone without a warrant.

State officials say distracted driving remains a serious and persistent problem across Florida.

By the numbers:

The most recent available data for a single year shows nearly 300 people were killed and more than 2,200 others suffered serious injuries in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024. A crash happens in Florida about every 44 seconds, and roughly one in seven crashes involves a distracted driver, according to state data.

Advocates point to other states with hands-free laws, saying those states have seen declines in deadly crashes after similar measures were adopted.

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What’s next:

The bill will be taken up during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 13. It must pass committee hearings and full votes in both chambers before going to the governor.

If approved, the law would take effect Oct. 1, 2026.