As the federal government continues to falter on enforcing immigration law, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is now reportedly pressing ahead with his state’s assertive response to the border crisis, quietly moving toward the construction of a second immigration detention center in North Florida.
The move reflects growing frustration among conservative leaders over Washington’s lax deportation policies — and signals Florida’s readiness to take matters into its own hands.
State records confirm that the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), under DeSantis’s leadership, has awarded a $39,000 contract for emergency infrastructure and weather monitoring equipment at what is labeled the “North Detention Facility.”
The site, which will reportedly be located at Camp Blanding — a Florida National Guard training base roughly 27 miles southwest of Jacksonville — would complement the recently opened detention facility in the Everglades, already dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Governor DeSantis, who has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his administration, has indicated that the state is holding off on fully building out the Camp Blanding facility until deportation efforts from the Everglades site are increased.
“We look forward to the increased cadence [of deportations],” DeSantis said last month. “Florida is ready, willing and able to expand its operations.”
The first facility — constructed with speed and efficiency on an isolated airfield deep in the Everglades — opened on July 1.
Over $245 million in contracts have already been issued to support its operations. Its remote location and austere conditions have attracted both praise and scrutiny.
President Donald Trump hailed the site’s strategic isolation as appropriate for housing “the worst of the worst,” while current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called it a potential model for other states seeking to bypass federal bottlenecks.
Naturally, liberal activists and environmental groups have responded with outrage.
Lawsuits allege inadequate food, restricted access to attorneys, and procedural delays in legal hearings — the same types of accusations frequently leveled at any serious immigration enforcement action.
But state officials maintain that the facility is both secure and built to withstand Florida’s harsh climate.
FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie responded to concerns about storm preparedness with confidence. “I promise you that the hurricane guys have got the hurricane stuff covered,” Guthrie told reporters on July 25, noting the facility is built to endure Category 2 storms.
Meanwhile, the state continues to withhold certain sensitive planning documents — including emergency evacuation procedures — under Florida laws that allow confidentiality in operational security planning.
Though critics label Florida’s detention efforts as harsh, conservatives see a state finally doing what Washington won’t: enforce the law and protect its communities.
In DeSantis’s Florida, immigration policy isn’t dictated by D.C. gridlock — it’s implemented with urgency, purpose, and resolve. As illegal crossings surge nationwide, the Sunshine State’s proactive approach may offer a template for other states unwilling to sit idly by.
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