Florida is moving to aggressively expand its network of state-run immigration detention facilities, with Governor Ron DeSantis announcing last week that the state is seeking federal approval to open a third site in the Panhandle and is already scouting a location for a fourth.
Speaking outside the recently converted Baker Correctional Institution—now dubbed “Deportation Depot”—DeSantis confirmed that state officials are waiting on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to sign off on the new Panhandle facility, dubbed the “Panhandle-Pokey.”
“So, if they approve, we will open,” DeSantis said during the news conference. “If they don’t, then we will stand by, and that’s fine. But I think it should be approved since I don’t think they’re where they need to be on detention space.”
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The push for more capacity comes as Florida cements its role as a primary partner in President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts. The Trump administration has frequently cited Florida’s state-run model as a blueprint for other Republican-led states.
In addition to the proposed Panhandle site, the governor revealed that officials are eyeing “another option potentially” in South Florida.
Arrest Numbers and Federal Support
DeSantis used the appearance last Monday to highlight the statistical impact of the state’s enforcement cooperation. According to the governor, authorities have tallied 20,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants in Florida over the past year—split evenly between state initiatives with federal law enforcement and independent arrests by local agencies.
Of those detained under the state partnership, DeSantis noted that 63% had a prior criminal arrest or conviction. The administration argues these numbers justify the need for rapid expansion, pointing to a lack of federal holding space as a bottleneck for deportations.
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Mounting Legal Battles and Controversy
While the state moves forward, its existing facilities are mired in litigation. The first site, a camp at a remote airstrip in the Everglades known colloquially as “Alligator Alcatraz,” faces three separate federal lawsuits.
Attorneys representing detainees at the Everglades site have described the conditions as “deplorable.” Court filings allege that tents are frequently flooded by rainwater and that officers go cell-to-cell, pressuring detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before they can consult legal counsel.
The legal challenges are attacking the facility on multiple fronts:
- Authority: One suit argues that Florida agencies and private contractors lack the federal authority to detain immigrants.
- Rights: A second suit seeks to guarantee detainees access to confidential communications with their lawyers.
- Environment: A third case involves a federal judge in Miami who ordered the facility to wind down operations last summer due to a lack of environmental impact review. However, an appellate court panel has placed that order on hold, allowing the camp to remain operational while the legal process plays out.
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