Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday teased plans to open a second migrant detention facility in the Sunshine State despite pushback over “Alligator Alcatraz.”
DeSantis said the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles west of downtown Jacksonville, Fla., will now hold migrants awaiting deportation, according to The Associated Press. The move comes just weeks after the state opened its “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in the Everglades.
Its construction was spurred by President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump, along with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, visited the center last month.
“There is a demand for this. I’m confident that it will be filled,” DeSantis said in his announcement Thursday, referring to the new center as “Deportation Depot.”
Development of the new facility could cost up to $6 million, despite the preexisting structure, he added. It currently features 1,300 beds but officials in the state are looking to add at least 700 more.
The proposal comes as federal judges weigh legal challenges to “Alligator Alcatraz,” including whether a government agency or private contractor has the legal authority to detain people or act as an immigration enforcement officer and if its construction complies with federal environmental laws.
Last month, the governor said he hoped Florida would be used as the “force multiplier” for deportations.
“I don’t want it to be where illegals are just stored there, and then just kind of sitting. I want it to be where illegals are here, there’s an aggressive processing and an aggressive deportation schedule,” he said.
The Trump administration has also been in contact with other GOP governors about similar construction projects in other states, according to Noem. While a list of potential states has not been provided, DHS announced a partnership with Indiana to build the “Speedway Slammer,” a facility that would be located about 65 miles north of Indianapolis.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just last month launched grant program that will offer funding to states to build detention centers.
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