Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at "Deportation Depot" in Baker County. | News4Jax
Published on January 5, 2026 at 3:34 pm
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Almost 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been flown out of Baker County’s “Deportation Depot” since it opened in early September. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.
During a news conference at the state-run immigration detention facility in Sanderson, DeSantis said that over the past four months, 93 flights have flown out of the facility, carrying a total of 2,926 detainees.
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In early September, DeSantis announced the opening of “Deportation Depot” at the Baker Correctional Institution, which has the capacity to house up to 1,500 detainees. The detention center is one of two state‑run facilities operating in Florida, the other being “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades.
Florida is awaiting approval from federal officials to open a third immigration detention center, this one in the Panhandle, DeSantis said.
“So, if they approve, we will open,” DeSantis said. “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 governor said there was “another option potentially” in South Florida.
When asked by email about the specific locations of the two potential detention facilities, DeSantis press secretary Molly Best said the Panhandle location would be announced once it’s approved by federal officials.
“Until this and the proposed additional South Florida location have been approved and finalized, we are unable to provide additional details. Stay tuned!” Best said.
Leading deportation
DeSantis said that there had been 10,000 arrests of people in the U.S. illegally in Florida during the past year through a state initiative with federal law enforcement, and that local law enforcement had made an additional 10,000 arrests for a total of 20,000 arrests. Under the state initiative, 63% of those arrested had a criminal arrest or conviction, DeSantis said.
Florida has led other states in constructing facilities to support President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, with DeSantis saying the Trump administration needs the additional capacity to hold and deport more immigrants.
The Trump administration has trumpeted the Republican governors’ efforts to expand their immigration detention capacity, calling Florida’s partnership a model for other state-run holding facilities.
Attorneys for detainees at the Everglades facility have called the conditions deplorable, writing in court documents that rainwater floods their tents and officers go cell-to-cell pressuring detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before they’re allowed to consult their attorneys.
Three federal lawsuits in Florida are challenging practices at the Everglades facility.
In one lawsuit, detainees are asking for the facility to be closed since immigration is a federal issue, and Florida agencies and private contractors hired by the state have no authority to operate it under federal law, the suit says.
In a second lawsuit, detainees were seeking a ruling that would ensure that they have access to confidential communications with their attorneys.
In the third lawsuit, a federal judge in Miami last summer ordered the facility to wind down operations over two months because officials had failed to do a review of the detention center’s environmental impact. But an appellate court panel put that decision on hold for the time being, allowing the facility to stay open.
This story was compiled from reports by Associated Press and News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
