Florida Scrubs Arrests of U.S. Citizens From Immigration Enforcement Data

“A Florida immigration enforcement dashboard was quietly edited to remove evidence of arrests of U.S. citizens after a local media outlet asked about the arrests.

the database used to show 21 U.S. citizens were arrested and charged. Additionally, nine other U.S

“We know that U.S. citizens are being arrested in Florida right now because we see stories like this one that are super-suspect and a civil rights nightmare,” Kennedy continues. “Then we see a dashboard put out by the state of Florida where they had like 30 arrests, and when the press gets a hold of it, that number drops to zero and there’s no explanation given. I think that’s weird.””

https://reason.com/2025/10/24/florida-scrubs-arrests-of-u-s-citizens-from-immigration-enforcement-data/

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Contracts Disappeared From a Florida State Database

“State contracts for Florida’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention camp were removed from a public database and replaced with far less detailed documents after media outlets began writing about them…

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), which is overseeing the state’s new immigrant detention camp in the Everglades, says the contracts contained “proprietary information.”…

open government advocates and state Democratic lawmakers say that removing details of the contracts flies in the face of Florida’s promises to provide transparency in public spending, especially given the massive expenditures of taxpayer money involved. The most recent reporting on the ballooning costs of the Everglades detention camp puts it at $250 million and growing.”

https://reason.com/2025/07/22/alligator-alcatraz-contracts-disappeared-from-a-florida-state-database/

Hundreds of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detainees Don’t Have Criminal Records

“Hundreds of detainees at a newly opened detention center in the Florida Everglades don’t have underlying criminal records, according to a Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times investigation published Sunday.

Despite the Trump administration and Florida officials’ claims that the detention center, which they’ve gleefully dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is holding hardened criminals and violent gang members, the Herald and Times obtained a list of roughly 700 detainees being held there. The news outlets found more than 250 people who were listed as having only immigration violations, but no criminal convictions or pending charges in the U.S.”

https://reason.com/2025/07/14/hundreds-of-alligator-alcatraz-detainees-dont-have-criminal-records/

An Iran-Israel Cease-Fire, Toxic Homes in LA, Florida Builds ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ | The Headlines

Conservative Supreme Court allows Trump to deport immigrants to third countries without due process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA-UzsY0JC4

ICE Helps Round Up Sex Workers in Florida

“A recent “human trafficking enforcement operation” in Polk County, Florida, led to 244 arrests—albeit none for human trafficking. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Polk County is far from alone in rounding up sex workers and their customers under the auspices of stopping human trafficking. And as is so frequently the case, the federal government had a hand in this operation, which authorities dubbed Fool Around and Find Out.”

“In addition to targeting adults for trying to consensually engage other adults in private sexual activity, immigration enforcement seems to have been a goal. A press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) notes that 36 of those arrested “are here illegally.””

“NFL Player Arrested, but No Human Traffickers”

“Toward the bottom of the press release, a quote from Sheriff Judd notes that “in addition to these 244 arrests, we also arrested 11 child predators who solicited who they thought were children online.” Judd seemingly wants to give the impression that Operation Fool Around and Find Out did more than just arrest people for wanting to engage in consensual adult activity.
But those 11 arrests were part of a separate operation, with its own name: Operation Child Protector VI. They appear to have nothing to do with the other 244 arrests.”

https://reason.com/2025/05/21/ice-helps-round-up-sex-workers-in-florida/

What They Don’t Tell Us About Climate Change | Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Home insurance in California and Florida is up big thanks to climate change. Polluters get a massive subsidy through their pollution’s negative externality, and they spend the big bucks on lobbyists and propaganda to prevent environmental protection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHTDDJtuWv4

Trump’s Tariffs and Immigration Policies Destroy Thousands of Acres of Tomato Crops in Florida

“Thousands of unharvested tomatoes are being plowed over in South Florida in a sign of what is to come under President Donald Trump’s tariffs—or tariff threats—and immigration policies. Reporting by Miami’s local Fox affiliate, WVSN, revealed that farmers are cutting their losses and letting crops go to waste due to increased picking and packing costs.

“You can’t even afford to pick them right now,” Heather Moehling, president of Miami-Dade County Farm Bureau, told WVSN. “Between the cost of labor and the inputs that goes in, it’s more cost-effective for farmers to just plow them right now.””

“Even though the tariffs on Mexican imports never took effect for goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, including U.S. tomatoes, the threat of tariffs alone was enough to disrupt the U.S. market, DiMare told WVSN.”

“While Trump is touting his recent deals with the United Kingdom and China as examples of how his trade policies are working, the Florida tomato industry serves as a real-world reminder that unpredictable policies can have far-reaching and unintended consequences on Americans’ livelihoods. On some level, Trump knows this and has admitted that Americans will have to make do with less, despite being voted in to bring down the cost of living. The president’s attempts at centralized planning will continue to drive prices up, and Americans will be the ones paying the price.”

https://reason.com/2025/05/12/trumps-tariffs-and-immigration-policies-destroy-thousands-of-acres-of-tomato-crops-in-florida/

South Florida Republicans scramble for fix after Trump targets Venezuelans

“Trump’s administration axed temporary protections for Venezuelan immigrants in the early days of his second term. In less than a month, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans nationally stand to lose temporary protected status, opening them up to deportation — leaving South Florida Republican Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez scrambling to try to convince Trump to change his mind.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/13/florida-republicans-trump-venezuelan-immigrants-00002983

Ron DeSantis Won’t Stop Trying To Gut Florida’s Public Records Law

“Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is once again trying to carve out broad new exemptions to the state’s celebrated government transparency law.
This time, lawyers for DeSantis are arguing that call logs from a high-ranking staffer’s phone aren’t public record, even though the staffer was conducting government business, because it was a private phone.”

https://reason.com/2024/06/21/ron-desantis-wont-stop-trying-to-gut-floridas-public-records-law/