Update:
Florida is moving forward with its second state-run migrant detention site — this time at the Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson — a facility Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling the “Deportation Depot.”
The North Florida site will hold more than 1,300 detainees, be staffed by the National Guard, and operate much like the state’s first site, the Everglades-based “Alligator Alcatraz.” DeSantis said Baker was chosen over a proposed site at Camp Blanding because it offers “ready made infrastructure” and will require far less work to bring online.
“They ain't escaping from here. That ain't going to happen,” DeSantis said at a press conference, Thursday. “And so I don't think it's going to be something where people are going to have to worry about that, and if somehow there is an escape, and maybe I could send (Lt. Gov.) Jay (Collins) on that task.”
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the state has secured a more than $600 million federal grant to reimburse the costs of both facilities. “A building that's been dormant now for a couple of years is going to have some unforeseen challenges that we did not see at the naked eye. So, you know, our timeline is probably going to be about two weeks,” Guthrie said.
The announcement comes as “Alligator Alcatraz” faces mounting legal and political challenges. Earlier this month, a federal judge temporarily halted all new construction at the Everglades site — including paving, filling, and infrastructure work — for two weeks while weighing an environmental lawsuit filed by the Miccosukee Tribe and conservation groups. They argue the project threatens sensitive wetlands and violates federal law.
Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) criticized the governor’s decision on social media, writing: “Governor’s press conference was to announce another dumb-named facility to detain individuals at a former State Prison. This is very likely motivated by the risk of the Everglades Immigration Detention Camp closing via a court order.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried also condemned the plan, calling it “another wildly expensive and inhumane immigration detention facility paid for by Florida’s taxpayers.” Fried said, “There is already an immigration Detention Center in Baker County that is notorious for its reprehensible treatment of detainees, and a second facility promises more of the same."
Separately, Democratic lawmakers are suing in state court to enforce their right to make unannounced inspections at the Everglades site after being denied entry in July. DeSantis has called that lawsuit “frivolous” and accused Democrats of “posturing politically.”
Critics say the Everglades facility has been plagued with overcrowding, extreme heat, inadequate medical care, and restricted access to attorneys — conditions they fear will be repeated at Baker.
“I have the exact same concerns about due process,” said Miami-Dade Democrats Chair and immigration attorney Laura Kelley. “They are detaining so many people, there's not enough space for the amount of people that they're detaining… And when you have over capacity, you have inhumane conditions.”
Kelley said detainees at Alligator Alcatraz are being held in state custody without a formal ICE docket or court jurisdiction, cutting off access to legal proceedings.
“Just because the state is detaining somebody that they say is an undocumented immigrant does not mean that person is subject to deportation,” she said. “They may have a claim for relief in immigration court, and if we don’t have access to our clients… there is no way for them to get their cases heard in court.”
The DeSantis administration maintains the sites are safe, legal, and necessary for enforcing immigration laws. They insist they meet “higher standards than most prisons.”
“I get sued every time I wake up in the morning,” said DeSantis, Thursday. “They're suing us for something. Look, sometimes they'll find a liberal judge, and we win on appeal. But I absolutely expect that, that there's going to be folks who just object to the mission, who are going to try to file lawsuits.”
Original:
Gov. Ron DeSantis is shifting plans for Florida’s next migrant detention site, announcing Thursday that Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson will become the state’s second major hub for processing and deporting people in the country illegally.
Dubbed the “Deportation Depot,” the North Florida facility will hold more than 1,300 detainees and operate much like the state’s first site, the Everglades-based “Alligator Alcatraz.” The governor says Baker was chosen over a proposed site at Camp Blanding because it offers “ready made infrastructure” and will require far less work to bring online.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the state has secured a $600+ million federal grant to reimburse the costs of both facilities. He estimates it will take about two weeks to ready Baker for the new operation.
The announcement comes as “Alligator Alcatraz” faces multiple legal challenges — including a pause in construction ordered earlier this month by a federal judge. The site can continue holding detainees, but for two weeks no paving, filling, or other infrastructure work is allowed. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, who sued in June, argue the facility threatens sensitive wetlands and violates federal environmental law. The court is still weighing a longer-term injunction.
At the same time, Democratic lawmakers are suing to enforce their right to make unannounced inspections at state detention centers after being denied entry to the Everglades facility in July. They’ve cited state law and a 2024 emergency order promising transparency.
DeSantis has called that lawsuit “frivolous” and accused Democrats of “posturing politically.” It comes as lawmakers and immigration advocates have alleged poor medical care, extreme heat, and inadequate access to voluntary return options at “Alligator Alcatraz” — claims the state strongly denies, saying the facility meets “higher standards than most prisons.”
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