Staff Reports
An international issue is garnering national media attention, with state media sidelined in the publicity push.
On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis gave his friends at Fox News the scoop about the state’s second pre-deportation prison coming online.
“BREAKING: Florida opens ‘Deportation Depot’ migrant detention facility at former Baker Correctional Institution outside Jacksonville,” the outlet posted to X.
DeSantis said that Baker County residents were “probably excited” about the facility, given he got “90% of the vote” in the predominantly Republican North Florida county.
Indeed, one key upgrade is in play at the lockup. Per Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie, “external HVAC units (are) piping air into these facilities.”
State prisons don’t have to be “climate-controlled.” But federal lockups have a different standard.
DeSantis said the Baker County location makes sense for a new facility because “a massive part” is vacant and has “ready-made infrastructure.” The Sanderson prison, which is one hour north of Gainesville, is also 15 minutes away from Lake City Gateway Airport, adding to its appeal for state officials looking to fly migrants out of the country easily.
Previously, the state had been eyeing Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Starke, outside Jacksonville, as another detention facility.
“In fact, setting up here at Baker, because we have so much existing infrastructure, it’s about a $6 million buildout — that would have been a lot more at Blanding, and obviously it was more at Alligator Alcatraz,” DeSantis said during his Thursday news conference. “Logistically, it makes sense, even though we’re getting reimbursed.”
The Baker processing and deportation facility could eventually hold up to 2,000 detainees in the seven dormitory buildings that are surrounded by a 12-foot chain link fence with razor wire, said Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie.
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A.G. Gancarski and Gabrielle Russon contributed reporting.
