Records show Florida paid $1.56 million so far for migrant relocation program, not higher figure

The Miami Herald has retracted a story published on Dec. 2, 2022 that incorrectly stated the amount of money Florida had spent on migrant relocation.

The article, based on an interpretation of information on the state’s Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System website, cited multiple entries of $950,000, and another for $615,000, and incorrectly concluded that the state had paid a contractor $3.4 million for the flights, more than twice the $1.56 million previously reported.

The Herald continued to request information from the state to learn more about the payments and purchase orders. On Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Michael Williams clarified in an email that multiple entries of $950,000 in state databases were not separate purchase orders. “They are contract extensions.”

That means the state paid Vertol Systems Company $1.56 million for the migrant flights, according to available records. In light of this new information, the Herald has removed the original story from its website.

This story was originally published December 2, 2022 at 5:08 PM.