Florida is moving to aggressively expand its network of state-run immigration detention facilities, with Gov. 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 known as “Deportation Depot,” DeSantis said state officials are waiting for approval from the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with a new Panhandle facility referred to as 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.”
The push to expand capacity comes as Florida continues to position itself as a key partner in President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. The Trump administration has repeatedly pointed to Florida’s state-run detention model as an example for other Republican-led states to follow.
In addition to the proposed Panhandle site, DeSantis said officials are also considering “another option potentially” in South Florida.
During the appearance, the governor highlighted what he described as the impact of Florida’s enforcement efforts. DeSantis said authorities have recorded 20,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants in the state over the past year, split evenly between joint operations with federal law enforcement and arrests carried out independently by local agencies.
Of those detained through the state partnership, DeSantis said 63% had a prior criminal arrest or conviction. The administration argues these figures demonstrate the need for rapid expansion, citing a shortage of federal detention space as a major obstacle to deportations.
Mounting legal battles and controversy
As the state pushes forward, its existing detention facilities remain entangled in legal challenges. The first site, a camp at a remote airstrip in the Everglades commonly referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” is facing three separate federal lawsuits.
Attorneys representing detainees at the Everglades camp have described the conditions as deplorable. Court filings allege tents are frequently flooded during rainstorms and that officers move from cell to cell pressuring detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before they are able to consult with legal counsel.
The lawsuits challenge the facility on multiple grounds. One case argues that Florida agencies and private contractors do not have the federal authority to detain immigrants.
Another focuses on environmental concerns. In that case, a federal judge in Miami previously ordered the facility to wind down operations due to the absence of an environmental impact review. That order has since been paused by an appellate court panel, allowing the camp to continue operating while the legal challenges move forward.
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