Florida to Open Second Migrant Detention Center 'Deportation Depot'

New Migrant Detention Facility Planned

• 📌 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' administration is preparing to open a second state-run migrant detention center, dubbed the “Deportation Depot.”
• 🎯 This new facility will be located at the currently closed Baker Correctional Institution near Jacksonville and is intended to house up to 1300 undocumented immigrants.
• 🔑 The move is framed as assisting the Trump administration with immigration enforcement and mass deportations.

Future of 'Alligator Alcatraz'

• 🐊 The Baker facility is being established as the future of the state's first migrant detention center, known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades, remains uncertain.
• ⚖️ A federal judge in Miami is currently deciding whether the Everglades facility violates federal environmental law.
• ⏳ A temporary halt on new construction at Alligator Alcatraz expires on August 21st, with the judge expected to issue her final ruling around that date.

Broader Immigration Enforcement Context

• 📰 The Department of Homeland Security has criticized the spread of false rumors and accusations in the media regarding detention centers.
• 🏛️ The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is seeking a court order to allow unannounced visits to detention centers nationwide.
• 📈 The governor indicated that the census at Alligator Alcatraz is a "moving target" due to ongoing arrivals and departures.