Florida has accumulated nearly 600 unpaid bills worth $417 million from immigration operations while committing at least $1.4 billion to contractors involved in state-run detention centers, according to a long-delayed report submitted to lawmakers shortly before they approved additional funding on Friday.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management reported 592 unpaid invoices from the last fiscal year, with about 90% of debts incurred through its emergency fund tied to immigration enforcement. The Miami Herald reported that the actual amount owed is likely higher because the accounting appears to predate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional contract commitments.
