By Vanguard Staff
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility, dubbed “Deportation Depot,” at a state prison as a federal judge weighs the future of the state’s controversial holding center for immigrants at an isolated Everglades airstrip known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” according to the Associated Press.
DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility will be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution, about 43 miles west of downtown Jacksonville. State officials said the site is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, with potential expansion to 2,000.
“There is a demand for this,” DeSantis said. “I’m confident that it will be filled.”
DeSantis justified the new facility by saying President Donald Trump’s administration requires additional capacity to detain and deport immigrants. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has praised Republican governors’ efforts to expand detention space, calling Florida’s partnership a model for other states.
DeSantis said the build-out at Baker Correctional will cost about $6 million, citing the relative ease of adapting a preexisting prison. That compares to the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on tents and trailers at the Everglades site.
“This part of the facility is not being used right now for the state prisoners. It just gives us an ability to go in, stand it up quickly, stand it up cheaply,” DeSantis said, calling the site “ready-made.”
Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the facility could take two to three weeks to become operational. “A building that’s been dormant now for a couple of years is going to have some unforeseen challenges,” Guthrie said, citing needed renovations such as air conditioning, which is not required under Florida’s prison standards.
DeSantis said staffing will be handled by the Florida National Guard and state contractors “as needed.” The Guard has previously been deployed to address prison staffing shortages and is now being mobilized for immigration enforcement.
The governor had previously considered opening the facility at Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard training site. But DeSantis said Baker Correctional was a better option due to its available capacity and proximity to a regional airport. “Blanding does have air capacity, but probably not a big enough runway to handle large planes,” he said.
DeSantis pledged detainees at the Baker facility will receive “the same services” as those at the Everglades site.
Attorneys for detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have filed a civil rights lawsuit, calling conditions deplorable. They said in court filings that some detainees displayed COVID-19 symptoms without being separated, tents flooded in rainstorms, and officers pressured detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before consulting lawyers.
“Recent conditions at Alligator Alcatraz have fueled a sense of desperation among detainees,” the attorneys wrote.
Civil rights lawyers are asking U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz to ensure confidential attorney access. The state disputed the allegations, saying that since videoconferencing started July 15, every attorney-client request has been granted, with in-person meetings beginning July 28.
Attorneys also asked the judge to clarify which immigration court has jurisdiction over the Everglades facility, noting detainees have repeatedly been told that Florida’s immigration courts lack authority.
