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Sanderson, FL - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state’s new immigration detention facility, Deportation Depot, will open in the coming weeks at Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson.
The facility is expected to hold approximately 1,300 detainees, with temporary dormitories allowing capacity to reach about 2,000.
The announcement was made during a press conference at Baker Correctional Institution, located less than 20 miles east of Lake City.
State officials said the site was selected because it offered ready-made infrastructure, with unused areas that could be quickly converted for detention purposes.
The cost to open the facility is estimated at roughly $6 million, significantly lower than the $75 million to $100 million projected for a previously considered site at Camp Blanding.
DeSantis has made immigration enforcement a central focus of his administration.
Earlier this year, he signed legislation described as the nation’s toughest anti-illegal immigration law and deputized law enforcement agencies statewide to assist with federal immigration efforts.
Deportation Depot will join Alligator Alcatraz, a facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades that opened in July and can hold about 4,000 detainees.
Deportation flights from Alligator Alcatraz have already begun.
Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the facility could become operational within two to three weeks, depending on inspections and whether any structural issues are found.
DeSantis emphasized that the facility was chosen for efficiency, cost, and readiness, and will be a key part of the state’s immigration enforcement efforts.