No Cages in the Everglades Act

The No Cages in the Everglades Act would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) from using funds to plan, construct, lease, operate, staff, maintain, or contract for an immigration detention facility located in or adjacent to the Everglades ecosystem. It also grants Members of Congress and designated staff broad, unannounced access to inspect any such detention facilities, and requires an independent report from the DHS Inspector General within 90 days after enactment. The report must review how funds were used, how the facility was approved, whether it meets several federal detention standards, any detainee complaints, and ecological and disaster-related safety risks. The bill defines key terms (Everglades ecosystem, facility, appropriate committees, etc.) and sets these protections as the governing rule, superseding other laws to the extent of funding prohibitions. In short, the bill would block federal funding for a detention facility in the Everglades, expand congressional oversight and access, and require a rigorous inspector general review of any such facility to ensure compliance with federal standards and environmental/safety considerations.