Several legislators were appalled at what they saw. Others, like State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a Republican from Florida, countered that to him it was a well-run, safe facility where the living quarters were clean and the air conditioning worked well.

In pursuit of immigration enforcement, the DeSantis administration quickly seized Everglades land to construct the center. A fleet of trucks transported crucial equipment into the sensitive area. Meanwhile, environmentalists sued to prevent the facility from operating, citing potential ecological damage.

PolitiFact | Gov. Ron DeSantis did not provide evidence showing how state agencies or officials determined the facility has zero environmental impact.