Florida Unveils 1,300-Bed 'Deportation Depot' To Speed DHS/ICE Removals Near Lake City

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to convert the vacant Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson into a new immigration detention and processing center dubbed the “Deportation Depot,” with capacity for about 1,300 detainees and proximity to Lake City Gateway Airport to facilitate deportation flights. Officials said the facility could be operational in roughly two to three weeks, with federal reimbursement anticipated. The move follows the opening of the Everglades “Alligator Alcatraz” site, which faces lawsuits over detainee conditions and environmental concerns, including a temporary construction freeze and hearings over access to counsel and wetlands protections.