Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday the opening of a new immigration detention facility in North Florida, underscoring his administration’s aggressive approach to enforcing immigration laws and handling migrants who enter the country illegally.
At a press conference, Mr. DeSantis described the facility, dubbed the “Deportation Depot,” as a central hub for detaining, processing, and deporting individuals who are in the United States unlawfully.
“We are authorizing and will be soon opening this new illegal immigration detention, processing and deportation facility here in North Florida,” the governor said.
The new center will be located at the Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson, near the Lake City Airport. According to Mr. DeSantis, the facility will not serve as indefinite housing for detainees but instead as a rapid-processing center aimed at accelerating deportations.
“We’ve been securing the border, enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal aliens who are in our society now, sending them back to their home country,” Mr. DeSantis said. “We have done more on this than any other state by a country mile.”
The “Deportation Depot” marks the second major immigration facility Florida has opened in as many months. In July, the state announced the creation of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a detention center located in the Everglades.
Together, the two facilities reflect Florida’s effort to position itself as a national leader on immigration enforcement — a role Mr. DeSantis has embraced amid growing frustration among conservatives about federal border policies.
Mr. DeSantis said the new North Florida facility would be able to hold more than 1,300 detainees, a significant expansion of the state’s capacity to process migrants. “This is about protecting Floridians, upholding the rule of law, and making sure that those who have no legal right to be here are sent back to their home countries,” the governor said.
The move comes as legal challenges to Florida’s immigration initiatives continue. Last week, a federal judge temporarily halted additional construction on the Alligator Alcatraz site, citing concerns about the impact further development could have on the Everglades’ sensitive ecosystem.
Under the judge’s order, the state and the Trump administration are permitted to continue using the facility and housing detainees there, but no further construction can proceed for 14 days.
Despite the legal pause, Mr. DeSantis pressed ahead with the new announcement, framing Florida’s actions as a necessary counterbalance to what he characterized as insufficient federal enforcement. “We’re doing the job Washington refuses to do,” the governor suggested, highlighting his belief that states must step in to fill the gap.
The unveiling of the Deportation Depot is the latest step in a series of policies designed to elevate Florida’s role in the national immigration debate. Supporters see the moves as a model for other states to follow, particularly as border states continue to strain under record encounters. Critics, meanwhile, are likely to challenge the expansion on logistical and legal grounds.
Still, Mr. DeSantis presented the new facility as both practical and symbolic — a demonstration of Florida’s willingness to act decisively. “We have done more on this than any other state by a country mile,” he said.
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