The government of Florida on Thursday announced plans to open a second detention facility for undocumented immigrants, according to ABC News via News.az.
At a press conference, Governor Ron DeSantis said the state will repurpose the Baker Correctional Institution, a temporarily closed prison in northern Florida, into a facility he called “Deportation Depot.” The site is expected to hold up to 1,300 detainees.
This will be the state’s second such center, following the opening just over a month ago of the makeshift detention facility in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
A state official overseeing the construction of immigration facilities said the Baker site could be operational within two to three weeks.
The announcement comes a day after a federal judge heard closing arguments in an environmental case targeting “Alligator Alcatraz,” where opponents are seeking to close the center. Last week, the judge issued a temporary restraining order halting construction there for 14 days.
“Alligator Alcatraz” has also been the subject of other legal challenges over alleged inhumane conditions and treatment of detainees.
