Florida inaugurates a new migrant detention center called ‘Deportation Depot’

Florida Opens New Immigration Detention Facility

Florida has recently unveiled a second immigration detention center, named “Deportation Depot,” which has begun accepting detainees, according to the state’s Governor Ron DeSantis’s office.

This facility is situated in Sanderson, a former bakery correctional institution located in the northern part of the state. The first detainees arrived on September 2, and by Friday, the facility was housing 117 individuals, with a total capacity of 1,500.

Florida Attorney General James Usmier remarked that the Baker County facility serves as a valuable addition to the existing location known as “Crocodile Alcatraz.” He mentioned that the site, being a formerly unused state prison, had already been renovated and is prepared to accommodate many detainees. “We’ll fill it up quickly, and it’ll work,” he stated.

Operations at Crocodile Alcatraz Amid Ongoing Legal Battles

The launch of the new facility follows a recent decision by a federal court of appeals, which paused lower court orders that sought to halt operations at the “Wannial Catraz” center indefinitely, allowing it to continue taking in detainees.

The appellate panel voted 2-1 to keep this order in place while awaiting the outcome of ongoing appeals. Just last month, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams had issued an injunction aimed at limiting the state’s detention capabilities, additionally requiring the transfer of detainees to other facilities and the removal of equipment.

Immigrants Being Flown from Wannial Catraz

In a related development, DeSantis announced that the Department of Homeland Security has started transporting immigrants from the “Wannial Catraz” facility. The legal ruling implies certain environmental groups have raised concerns about the impact on local wetlands, accusing officials of not adhering to regulations that necessitate reviews of detention centers.

Back in July, former President Donald Trump visited the facility and suggested that it could serve as a prototype for future centers across the nation as part of his broader deportation strategy.

In reaction to the recent ruling, DeSantis expressed confidence, stating, “We said we’re going to fight it… the mission will continue, so that’s why Crocodile Alcatraz is actually open for business, as we’ve always said,” via social media.