The federal government appears to be backing down on a grant awarded to Florida for immigration enforcement costs, potentially leaving taxpayers on the hook. The move comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised that the federal government would pay back taxpayers. The Department of Homeland Security has been trying to cast doubt on the grant award, calling plans to provide federal funding as "unrealized" and "legally insufficient". The state has already spent at least $573 million on federal immigration duties, including building a hastily-built immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Critics argue that this fund has been used to fund responses to hurricanes and other emergencies and has been exploited for political purposes.