DeSantis Defies Judge On Alligator Alcatraz, Pushes 2,000-Bed 'Deportation Depot'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to fight a federal judge’s order to halt expansion and dismantle parts of the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention site in the Everglades, citing plans to continue aiding federal removals. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered removal of generators, lighting and other infrastructure over environmental and tribal access harms. DeSantis simultaneously touted a second state-run detention center in Baker County — the “Deportation Depot” — with capacity up to 2,000 detainees. The moves underscore Florida’s accelerated push to expand detention capacity amid legal and environmental challenges.