After ‘Alligator Alcatraz', Florida to build ‘Deportation Depot' to suit Trump's plans
DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 69km (43 miles) west of downtown Jacksonville. It is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said.
After opening the Everglades facility last month, DeSantis justified building the second detention centre by saying US President Donald Trump's administration needs the additional capacity to hold and deport more immigrants.
'There is a demand for this,' DeSantis said. 'I'm confident that it will be filled.'
US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has trumpeted Republican governors' efforts to expand their immigration detention capacity, calling Florida's partnership a model for other state-run holding facilities.
Signage for the Baker Correctional Institution is seen west of downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Photo: Florida Department of Corrections via AP
DeSantis touted the relative ease and economy of setting up the north facility at a pre-existing prison, estimating the buildout cost to be US$6 million.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ukraine war: Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Anchorage, Alaska for US-Russia talks
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon begin a high-stakes summit in the Alaskan port city of Anchorage. The meeting will focus on the prospect of a ceasefire to end Russia's devastating three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine, and will be the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. Initially seen as a meeting that could reshape the global order, determine Ukraine's future, and redefine America's standing with its allies, the Trump administration has since tried to downplay how conclusive it will be. This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP's journalism by subscribing . New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Reporting by Khushboo Razdan in Anchorage, Robert Delaney and Frank Chen in Washington
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump trade war with China is starting to look like a partnership
Donald Trump is demanding his cut in every deal. This is true with both the shooting war in Ukraine and the trade war with China. In his lopsided trade deal with the European Union, the US president has boasted that the bloc will be required to buy 'vast amounts' of American weapons worth 'hundreds of billions'. Even before the deal, Vice-President J.D. Vance declared that if Europe wanted to continue the war in Ukraine, they would have to pay for it by buying US weapons. Brussels has denied that it is required to do so under the new deal, but there is no doubt it will end up buying a lot more from the US weapons industry, that is, whether it continues the war in Ukraine and/or rearms Europe against Russia. Trump really wants other people's money to pay for his tax cut for the rich. Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will be exempted from export restrictions and allowed to sell lower-performance chips to China, but only after both firms agree to hand over 15 per cent of any future sales to fill the US government's coffers. But weren't those chip curbs supposed to protect America's 'national and economic security', because those chips could help advance China's military and intelligence capabilities? Well, money talks. The 'Export Clause' in the US Constitution does not allow any export tax on American firms like the 15 per cent levy to be imposed on the two US chip giants. But who bothers with the Constitution in Trump's Washington these days?
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump, Putin soon to sit down for high-stakes Ukraine talks in Alaska
Inside a secure facility at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon begin a high-stakes summit – one that could reshape the global order, determine Ukraine's future, and redefine America's standing with its allies. Putin is 'bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good,' Trump said aboard Air Force One on Friday. 'I like that because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the war settled.' Trump told reporters that he believes 'something' will come of today's summit in Alaska. According to the Kremlin, the two will sit down for their talks on Friday around 11:30am local time, with part of the meeting to be held in front of cameras and possibly with questions from reporters. This will be the first summit between a US and Russian leader since 2001. A closed-door working lunch including US and Russian defence and trade ministers, will be part of the talks, although Putin press secretary Dmitry Peskov says no documents are expected to be signed after the summit. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Dan Caine, the president's top military adviser, and General Alexus Grynkewich, the top NATO and US commander in Europe are part of the delegation. So are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
