Overview

• Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on August 15 that the mothballed Baker Correctional Institution will be converted into a “Deportation Depot” with an initial capacity of about 1,300 beds and room for more.
• The state Division of Emergency Management says the $6 million conversion costs far less than the $75–$100 million estimate for a Camp Blanding facility and will be reimbursed by a $608 million federal commitment to house 5,000 migrants.
• U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a temporary injunction on August 7 blocking further construction and infrastructure work at the Everglades tent site while environmental reviews under NEPA and the Endangered Species Act proceed.
• Immigration lawyers have filed a separate lawsuit before Judge Rodolfo Ruiz alleging that detainees at the Everglades complex lack adequate, confidential access to counsel, with venue and relief requests under consideration.
• Critics including immigration attorney Hector Diaz and Rep. Maxwell Frost argue that using a former prison for non-criminal detainees is excessive and could deplete emergency funds needed for the approaching hurricane season.