Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans on Thursday to open a second immigration detention facility at Baker Correctional Institution, located about 43 miles west of Jacksonville, The Associated Press reported. The new site is expected to house 1,300 detainees, with room to expand to 2,000. Dubbed the “Deportation Depot,” the Republican governor said the facility was “ready-made,” costing an estimated USD six million to launch because it repurposes a dormant state prison.
“There is a demand for this,” DeSantis reportedly said, adding, “I am confident that it will be filled.”
Quick Buildout and Cost Efficiency
Kevin Guthrie, head of the state’s emergency management division, told the US-based news agency that the site could be operational within two to three weeks, though complications may arise from reactivating a previously shuttered facility. DeSantis stressed that the chosen location was much cheaper and faster to deploy than the remote Everglades facility, which required costly tents and trailers.
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Still Under Legal Scrutiny
Meanwhile, the original detention site in the Florida Everglades, also known as the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ remains under legal pressure. According to a Reuters report, a federal judge has issued a temporary halt to further construction pending environmental review of the area.
Local media reports suggest that the contentious site has drawn criticism over its environmental impact, including disruption of sensitive wetlands and attacks on detainee conditions – like flooding, contaminated food and restricted access to legal counsel.
Civil Rights Advocates Push Back
Meanwhile, attorneys representing detainees at the Everglades facility have filed court motions demanding better access to lawyers and clarification on which immigration courts have jurisdiction over their cases. Conditions there have been described as “deplorable,” with reports of COVID-19 cases not being separated and pressure to sign deportation papers before legal counsel is available, as reported by The Associated Press.
Environmental, Legal and Human Rights Implications
The new Baker Correctional Institution facility, the report said, allows faster, more cost-efficient detention capacity. Some observers, however, have warned that it sidesteps opposition to the controversial Everglades site and fails to address long-term humanitarian and environmental concerns.
